White Chicken Chili

A rich, soothing white chili that’s creamy, cozy, and deeply satisfying—an excellent change-up from traditional beef chili. Yields roughly 8 cups.

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: white chicken chilli

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 50

Servings:

1 8-oz package Neufchâtel (light cream cheese), cut into small cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro plus extra for garnish
2 cans 14.5 oz each reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 small yellow onion small-diced
2 cans 15 oz each cannellini beans
1 1/4 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 can 7 oz diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken shredded (rotisserie or leftover)
Tortilla chips or strips Monterey Jack cheese, and sliced avocado, for serving (optional)

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
Pour in the chicken broth and add the diced green chiles. Season with the cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne, plus salt and pepper to taste. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Measure out 1 cup of the beans and set the remainder aside. In a food processor, combine the measured 1 cup beans with 1/4 cup hot broth from the pot and process until nearly smooth.
Stir the Neufchâtel into the pot along with the corn, the reserved whole beans, and the bean purée. Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
Fold in the shredded chicken, lime juice, and cilantro. Serve hot with Monterey Jack, extra cilantro, avocado slices, and tortilla chips if desired.

This version uses pre-cooked shredded chicken (the original method started with 1 lb raw chicken cooked at the outset). Rotisserie chicken brings better flavor and helps prevent overcooked chicken breasts.
No food processor available? Simply skip the purée step; the chili will be slightly less creamy but still delicious.