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White Chicken Chili
5 from 3,744 votes

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili combines shredded cooked chicken with cannellini beans, corn, and a blend of spices including cumin, coriander, and cayenne for gentle heat. Neufchatel cheese enriches the soup, giving it a creamy texture balanced by bright lime juice and fresh cilantro. The recipe simmers the chili to meld flavors, and serving with avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, and tortilla chips adds complementary creaminess, sharpness, and crunch. This chili provides a comforting, moderately spiced meal suited for cooler days or when a cozy bowl is desired.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion diced, small
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth low-sodium
  • 1 (7 oz) can green chilies diced
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp oregano dried
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt to taste, freshly ground
  • black pepper to taste, freshly ground
  • 1 (8 oz) pkg neufchatel cheese cut into small cubes, aka light cream cheese
  • 1 1/4 cup corn frozen or fresh
  • 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken shredded, cooked, rotisserie or left-over
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice fresh
  • 2 Tbsp cilantro plus more for serving, fresh, chopped
  • tortilla chips for serving (optional, or strips; sliced avocado
  • Monterey jack cheese
  • avocado

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 4 minutes minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
  2. Add chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes.
  3. Drain and rinse beans in a fine mesh strainer or colander then measure out 1 cup. Set whole beans aside, transfer 1 cup beans to a food processor along with 1/4 cup broth from soup, puree until nearly smooth**.
  4. Add Neufchatel cheese to soup along with corn, whole beans and pureed beans and stir well. Simmer 5 - 10 minutes longer.
  5. Stir in chicken, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with Monterrey Jack cheese, more cilantro, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.

Notes

  • Use pre-cooked shredded chicken like rotisserie chicken to prevent overcooking and add flavor.
  • Pureeing some of the beans with broth creates a creamier texture, but can be omitted if desired or if no food processor is available.