Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili

This healthy white bean chicken chili is loaded with cannellini beans, corn and green chiles. It has a ton of flavor and cooks up in just 30 minutes.

You asked, I listened! A few weeks ago I asked what recipes you wanted to see from me and I had a ton of requests for soup! Ask and ye shall receive. 😉

Prior to this recipe, I had never made a white bean or a chicken chili before, so I decided that this would be a fun one to test! I gravitate towards soups that somehow feel relatively light and refreshing while also being comforting. This soup is just that. It’s packed with vegetables and flavor while also being dairy and gluten-free.

Make a Thicker Broth With Mashed White Beans

This chili is broth-based and doesn’t feel as thick or heavy as chili usually does. That said, if you like a thicker broth you can always use a fork or potato masher to mash one can of the cannellini beans before adding them into the pot. This is a great trick for thickening up any broth-based soup!

ALSO, fair warning: my version of this soup turned out quite spicy because the jalapeños I purchased were extra strong. I love spice and it gave the chili a great flavor, but if you don’t love spicy or have kids who will be eating this too, I recommend using less jalapeño.

Here’s What You Need:

• vegetables – garlic, yellow onion, jalapeño
• green chiles – I used mild canned diced green chiles – they’re not too spicy but add a nice, complex flavor
• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• low-sodium chicken broth – I prefer using low-sodium so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe!
• cannellini beans or another white bean like navy beans or great northern beans
• corn – I like using frozen corn and there’s no need to thaw before adding to the chili
• spices and seasonings – dried oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, sea salt and pepper
• optional toppings – chopped cilantro, green onion, avocado and additional jalapeño slices

How to Freeze (and Thaw!)

This chili is freezer friendly… aka perfect for weekly meal prep or meal prepping before a baby. To freeze, allow the chili to cool completely. Place in a freezer-safe storage container and freeze. Soup will be good for up to three months.

When you’re ready to enjoy, place the frozen chili in the refrigerator the night before to partially thaw. The next day, add to a saucepan and heat until warm, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick for your liking at this point, feel free to add a little broth or water to thin.

What to Serve With Chicken Chili

This chicken chili is a full meal on it’s own – especially if you add all the toppings! That said, I love serving this chili with a little something extra like tortilla chips. If you want something more filling, it’s also delicious with cornbread. My pumpkin cornbread would be perfect!

Love Cozy Soups and Stews? Try These:

• Easy Black Bean Soup
• Easy Vegetarian Chili
• Mexican Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
• Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili
• Lightened Up Broccoli Cheddar Soup

White Bean Chicken Chili

5 from 54 votes

This healthy white bean chicken chili is loaded with cannellini beans, corn and green chiles. It has a ton of flavor and cooks up in just 30 minutes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• ½-1 jalapeño, seeded and diced*
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 4 oz cans mild diced green chiles
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed*
• 1 1/2 cup frozen corn, no need to thaw
• chopped cilantro, green onion, jalapeño and/or avocado, for garnish
• cornbread or tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

 

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and jalapeño and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder and cook about 1 minute more. Add green chiles, chicken, and broth and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through.
• Use a fork or tongs to remove chicken from the soup, place on a plate and shred with two forks.
• Place shredded chicken back in the pot and add beans and corn. Bring soup to a simmer and let cook another 10 minutes. Taste soup at this point and season with additional sea salt and pepper if needed.
• Portion chili into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro, green onion, extra jalapeño and/or avocado.
• This chili is great served with tortilla chips or cornbread.

Notes

• Feel free to use a full jalapeño. I used 1/2 of a deseeded jalapeño and the chili had a nice kick.
• To make the chili thicker, you can mash 1 can of the drained and rinsed beans before adding them to the pot.
• To freeze: cool chili, place in a freezer-safe storage container and freeze. To use, partially thaw chili in the refrigerator overnight. Add to a saucepan and heat until warm, stirring occasionally. If soup is too thick you can add a little broth or water to thin.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of recipe without toppings Calories: 285kcal Carbohydrates: 32g Protein: 28g Fat: 5g Sodium: 1160mg Fiber: 9g Sugar: 4g

Author: Brittany Mullins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: white bean chicken chili

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