White Chicken Chili Recipe

When I used to work at The B.O.B., Bobarino’s made the best white chicken chili ever, and I would eat a bowl every single day for my shift meal. It was my all time favorite food, and when I ventured off into the world of teaching, and then a job as a full time stay at home mom, I finally figured how to make a similar chili that was even better than the white chicken chili that I used to love so much.

I mean, this chili is so good that I would say it is the single best thing that I have ever learned how to cook. The secret to the amazing flavor of this soup is in both the quality of each of the ingredients and in following this recipe precisely each step of the way so that each component of the soup is properly prepared. Making a good soup like this is NOT about just throwing all of the ingredients into a pot. Each flavor must be layered upon each other, and the end result is a dish so exquisite that you will either want to share it with everyone to impress them, or horde it for yourself so that you can enjoy all of the succulent flavors by your lonesome.

Ingredients

• 3 Large Chicken Breasts (or one whole roasted chicken)
• 2 c. Raw Organic Garbanzo Beans (Or two cans of garbanzo beans if you’re in a pinch.)
• 1 4 oz. Jar of Green Chilies
• 1 Stick of Butter
• ¼ c. Flour
• 1 Medium Onion (Organic)
• 2 c. Cream (I skim the cream from our raw milk.)
• 4 c. Chicken Stock (See how to make it here, or you can buy some, preferably organic. I always try to make extra and store it in the freezer in Ziploc bags.)
• 2 c. Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese (You can really use any kind of cheese. I used a combination of mozerella and sharp cheddar last time I made this because that was all I had and it turned out great.)
• 1 c. Sour Cream (Get a good brand like Daisy that doesn’t list a ton of extra ingredients.)
• Chili Powder
• Braggs Liquid Aminos
• Real Salt
• Onion Powder
• Cumin
• Cayenne Pepper (Add a bit if you like a little spice.)
• *Green Onion
• *Jalapeño
• *Tortilla Chips

*For toppings

Directions

1. Prepare the Beans: In a pinch, you can use canned beans from the store, but I buy dry organic garbanzo beans in bulk, and to get rid of the phytic acid, I need to prepare them properly. To do this, I put my beans in a large pot, cover them with twice as much water, and add a glug of apple cider vinegar and a spoonful of freshly ground whole wheat flour that helps to unlock the phytase that will break down the phytic acid. Then, I turn my pot on low and let them sit overnight. In the morning, I bring them to a boil, skim the scum, turn the heat back down to low, and cover and simmer for the entire day (or 8 hours). The longer you can do this (24-36 hours), the better, but anything is better than nothing. 🙂
   

   Skim the Scum from the Beans

   

   Cooked Garbanzo Beans

2. Season the Chicken: Put the chicken into a bowl and add 2 t. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 2 t. Real Salt, 2 t. Chili Powder, 1 t. Cumin, 1 t. Onion Powder, and a bit of pepper. *I hate adding amounts for my seasonings, because I never measure them when I cook, I just eyeball it, but you can use my numbers to get you started. You can cook the chicken right after you season it, or you can put it in a ziploc bag or cover up the bowl and let it marinate in the fridge overnight (recommended).
3. Cook the Chicken: If I can, I like to cook my chicken on the grill, but you can also pan fry it as well.
   • Grilled Chicken: Preheat and scrape the grill. Grill on medium heat for about 15 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is between 160º-180º F.
     

     Grilled Chicken

   • Pan Fried Chicken: Preheat a generous amount of butter or coconut oil in your pan (preferably a cast iron skillet). Cook on medium heat with a cover for 15 minutes, flip, and cook on the other side for an additional 15 minutes.
4. Cut the Chicken: When I had more time, I used to like to shred my chicken with my fingers into irregular chunks, but in an effort to save time, I just cut my cooked chicken into cubes, and I like it just fine this way. Make sure you’ve given the chicken a chance to fully cool before cutting it. This will ensure that all of the juices are soaked up. Add more of the same seasonings to the cut up chicken and put back into the fridge to let the flavors soak in (recommended), or you can use it right away.
5. Make the Roux: Melt one stick of butter in a large soup pot. When it’s melted and a little bubbly, add the flour and stir constantly for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the Onion: If you pan fry your chicken, you can cook the onion in the same juices until it’s soft, but if you’ve grilled your chicken, you can just add the chopped onion to the roux.
7. Add the Liquid: Add the chicken stock and the cream and slowly bring to a boil stirring often. After it comes to a boil, turn it down to a lower temperature to let it simmer.
   

   Roux with Cream, Chicken Stock, and Onion

8. Add the Rest: Add the beans, chicken, green chilies, cheese, and sour cream.
9. Season the Soup: Add 4 t. chili powder, 2 t.cumin, 1 T Real Salt, and ½ t. cayenne pepper. Simmer everything for about 20 minutes. *I hate giving amounts for the seasonings because I like to just add to taste. I recommend that you taste often as you add your spices to adjust the amounts to your liking.
   

   White Chicken Chili

10. Serve: Serve each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and top with green onions and jalapeños (if you like spice). Serve with tortilla chips too. *I’m not usually one to stage my food before I serve it, but this chili tastes REALLY  good with the toppings put on precisely like this.
    

    Bowl of White Chicken Chili