White Bean and Chicken Chili

We had some friends move to town this past weekend.  I know the pain of unpacking and trying to feed your family a little too well, so we decided to feed them dinner on Sunday.  I know, I know, it's another soup in the summer, but my family really loves soup any time of year.

I saw Giada make this on food network a few years ago, so I had to give it a try and it's been a favorite ever since. This isn't your typical white chicken chili that you would top with avocado, chips, sour cream, etc.  I do have a recipe for that which I love, but this chili has a bit of an Italian flare.  I love making soup on Sunday, because we don't have church until 11, so I can either make it in the morning and heat it up for dinner, or make it right after church and keep it warm in the crock pot until dinner.

I love the technique of just cooking the chicken in the pot with all of the seasonings at the beginning.  I hate when a recipe tells you to add 2 cups cooked chicken and so you have to cook that separate and then add it.  This way saves a lot of time, and the chicken gets great flavor by cooking it directly with the onions and all the seasonings.  I had never used ground chicken until this recipe, and I don't always use it, but it is a nice option for something different.

Salad, homemade bread and a lemony dessert, (I will be posting that a little later) made for a delicious dinner with great company.

Enjoy!


Heidi

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil  
• 1 large onion, chopped  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced  
• 1 pound ground chicken or 2 raw boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning (if you don’t use low sodium chicken stock, start with less salt, and add as needed) 
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin  
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds  
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano  
• 2 teaspoons chili powder  
• 3 tablespoons flour  
• 3 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained (I used 2 cans cannellini and one can great northern or navy beans)
• 2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach 
• 1 ½  cups frozen corn   
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional-depending on how spicy you want it) 
• Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning  
• grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish) 
• chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground or cubed chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture and cook for about 1 minute. Add the beans, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 45-50 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the spinach, corn, red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the fresh Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6.