White Chicken Chili

5 from 2 votes

White chicken chili with roasted poblano peppers, green chiles, cannellini beans, chicken thighs, cilantro, and lime is a wonderful and lighter alternative to classic chili.

Prep Time10

Total Time1 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

6 large poblano peppers
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion diced
5 cloves garlic minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 16-ounce cans cannellini beans drained
1 4-ounce can hot green chiles
2 teaspoons oregano
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro chopped,

Suggested toppings

2 large limes cut into wedges
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
5 large green onions chopped
1 cup sour cream
2 jalapenos sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450f. Slice peppers in half and discard seeds and stems. Place the peppers on a baking sheet skin side up and drizzle with olive oil. Roast peppers for 15-18 minutes or until well charred. Remove peppers from oven and place into a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. After 5 minutes remove and discard the pepper skins and dice.
Place the chicken thighs and chicken stock into a stockpot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to simmer. Once the chicken is cooked through (about 12-15 minutes) remove with tongs and chop into bite-size pieces. Turn the heat down on the stockpot to low.
Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven to medium heat and add the olive oil and onions. Saute onions until soft (about 5-7 minutes) then add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1-2 more minutes). Add the cumin and coriander to the pot and cook for another 1 minute to bloom the spice.
Strain and save the chicken stock through a fine mesh sieve or fine strainer.
Add the chicken, poblano peppers, hot green chiles, cannellini beans, oregano, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Taste test and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Once satisfied, add the lime juice and cilantro and stir it all together.
Serve with all of the suggested toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

After roasting, do not rinse the roasted poblano peppers since that will remove much of their flavor.
Chicken thighs are dark meat with lots of connective tissue and therefore don't run the same risk of overcooking as white meat. If you prefer to use chicken breasts (white meat), add the cooked chopped chicken into the pot right before serving.
This chile is excellent by itself but even better with the suggested toppings.
Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer and can be reheated on the stovetop or microwave.

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