White Chicken Chili

• Dutch oven or heavy soup pot
• Cutting board + chef's knife
• Blender or immersion blender
• Wooden spoon
• Ladle

Base recipe makes 4 servings4 servings. The servings control keeps everything in sync so the recipe still feels balanced when you scale.

• olive oil
• large yellow onion, finely diced
• medium poblanos, seeded and diced
• garlic, minced
• great northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• diced green chiles
• low-sodium chicken broth
• ground cumin
• dried oregano
• smoked paprika
• fine salt, adjust after tasting
• freshly ground black pepper
• cream cheese, cubed and softened
• heavy cream
• lime juice
• shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• chopped cilantro
• scallions or chopped red onion
• tortilla strips or warm corn tortillas
• extra cilantro leaves, lime wedges, avocado slices, and shredded Monterey Jack or white cheddar (optional)

• Protein: Shredded cooked chicken
• Produce: Onion, poblanos, garlic, lime, cilantro, scallions or red onion
• Dairy: Cream cheese, heavy cream
• Pantry & Spices: Olive oil, white beans, diced green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, tortilla strips optional

1. 1.Build the chili base slowly. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent with light golden edges, then add the poblanos and soften them before adding the garlic and spices. This layered saute gives the pot more depth than dumping everything in at once.
2. 2.Simmer the beans and broth first. Add the beans, green chiles, broth, and seasonings, scrape the pot clean, and let it simmer 15 to 20 minutes so the peppers soften and the broth starts to tighten.
3. 3.Puree a small portion for body. Blend part of the beans and broth, then stir that puree back in. This makes the chili creamy without needing a flour-thickened base.
4. 4.Lower the heat before dairy. Reduce the burner and stir in the cream cheese or dairy components gently so they melt in smoothly and do not break.
5. 5.Add the chicken late. Stir in the cooked chicken only long enough to warm it through so it stays juicy and does not shred itself into the pot.
6. 6.Finish and balance. Taste for salt, pepper, and acid, then serve hot with your toppings. If the chili thickens as it stands, loosen it with a splash of broth.

Cool completely before refrigerating. Reheat gently over low heat and avoid boiling once the dairy is in the pot.

Estimate based on 4 hearty bowls including the cream cheese and heavy cream finish, before optional toppings.