Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Karen

Chicken White Bean Chili is easy, delicious, and ready in 30 minutes!

Phew – what a day! Actually, what a weekend. Far from being exciting, I did get a lot of work done — dealing with frozen/broken water meter at my Mom’s, freelance projects (can’t wait to share with you my latest project!), and taxes (ugh…taxes).

In the name of Chinese New Year, my sister and I ate what we were craving, that means lots and lots of seafood. The two of us shared three huge lobsters and some shellfish my sister picked up from Whole Foods. These are cherry stone clams, cockles (the green color goes away once they’re cooked), and razor clams which I absolutely love!

Another thing my sister introduced me to was Harmless Harvest’s coconut water. I have seen them at WF, but was a bit wary about the color and the “never heated” label, whatever that is supposed to mean. What it means to me is that it tastes exactly like it’s supposed to be – fresh out of a coconut! As for the pink color, it’s all natural and no food coloring has been added.

In other news, the busy streak continued into this week with hardly any room for breather! My eyeballs were glued to the computer screens for hours, only releasing their intense gaze long enough for me to scarf down my lunch. Needless to say, on days like this, a dinner that takes less than 30 minutes to prep is exactly what I need. Plus, it contains pantry and kitchen staples, which meant I didn’t need to make a stop at the grocery store after work.

Chunks of white meat chicken, creamy white beans, and spices like cumin, oregano, coriander — this chili has tons of flavors. I had two bowls of it for supper and it left enough leftovers for lunches.

I used a 4-oz can of hatch chiles from Trader Joes and it was absolutely fantastic in this chili. Fresh ones would probably be best but they’re hard to find in my neck of the wood. We like to use these chiles in our burgers too!

For this soup, you have the options of using skinless boneless chicken breast or white and dark meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken to make it easier. Just let the soup simmer until the beans soften and liquid reduces a bit. I’ve got Monterrey jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime on top. The more toppings the better in my opinion — then it’s time to eat. :)

Since there is a plenty of protein in this soup, it’s sure to keep me full all night. Which hopefully means I won’t feel the need to devour the entire batch of cookies I’m about to go make!

Chicken White Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 4- oz can chopped hatch green chiles more or less depending on desired heat
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup mild salsa verde
2 15- oz cans white cannellini or Great Northern beans drained and rinsed
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Monterrey Jack cheese lime wedges, tortillas, for serving

Instructions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add cumin, coriander, oregano, chiles, chicken broth, salsa verde, and beans to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the chili is slightly thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toppings if desired.