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4.6 from 180 votes

White Bean Chicken Chili

Whether you're entertaining or relaxing, this recipe hits the spot.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 2 cans cans (14.5-ounces each) great northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups cooked diced chicken (see note)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ cup salsa (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 - 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese (see note)
  • optional toppings cilantro, olives, tomatoes, sour cream, avocados

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat so the soup is simmering but not vigorously boiling and add the cheese one small handful at a time, stirring to let each addition melt before adding the next.
  3. Give the soup a good stir making sure all the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with additional toppings (optional): crushed tortilla chips, olives, sour cream, avocados, cilantro, tomatoes.

Notes

  • Chicken: here is a skillet method for quick, cooked and shredded chicken.
  • Doubling: a single recipe of this soup doesn't make a whole lot - I always double it for our family of seven (five kids, two adults). Of course, it goes a bit further if adding on toppings so keep that in mind.
  • Cheese: originally the recipe was posted with mozzarella cheese. It's very yummy that way and occasionally I still use it but for the most part, I've changed to using Monterey Jack for a much creamier and smoother texture. Incidentally cheddar doesn't seem to work well here - it is a bit to greasy and doesn't melt well.
  • Salsa: also, the salsa in this recipe is quite important - use a salsa that has great flavor as it is a key component to the soup. A salsa with a lot of heat is obviously going to make the soup spicy. I like to use a mild or medium salsa (Trader Joe's chunky sals or fire-roasted salsa are two of my favorites). And if you want to change it up a bit, using a green salsa is a wonderful variation. You can probably tell this soup is endlessly adaptable.
  • Turkey: don't forget that leftover, cooked turkey is delicious in this soup.
  • Celery Seed/Salt: I often sub celery seed (just 1/4 teaspoon) for the celery salt and then just add additional salt to taste if needed.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Serving Calories 672kcal (34%) Carbohydrates 49g (16%) Protein 55g (110%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Cholesterol 115mg (38%) Sodium 1106mg (46%) Fiber 15g (60%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Serving
Calories 672kcal 34%
Carbohydrates 49g 16%
Protein 55g 110%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 115mg 38%
Sodium 1106mg 46%
Fiber 15g 60%
Sugar 3g 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.