Chipotle White Chicken Chili Recipe

The autumn chill seems to be saying "chili." Here's a recipe from my cookbook, "Soup's On!" that uses canned chipotle chiles, chicken and white beans. And yes, it comes together in just 30 minutes!  You can use rotisserie chicken to make it even quicker.

CHIPOTLE WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

         Prep time:  30 minutes.

         Makes about 6 1-1/2 C. servings.

         Chopotle chiles —smoked jalapeno peppers — are found in the Mexican food aisle, in 7-oz. cans with adobo sauce. You only need one or two chiles for this dish, but don't let the rest of the can go to waste; freeze it and then shave off a bit every time you need to add a little smoky kick to a dish.

If you prefer, you can make this chili with rotisserie chicken or frozen cooked and diced chicken pieces. Pull the meat off of a rotisserie chicken and dice it into 1-inch pieces or shred it apart with your fingers. Either way, you should have 2-1/2 to 3 C. of chicken meat.

         1 Tbsp. canola oil

         2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

         3 14-oz. cans chicken broth

         2 Tbsp. dried chopped onions

         1 tsp. garlic powder

         2 tsp. ground cumin

         1 tsp. oregano

         1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper or chile powder (more if desired)

         2 7-oz. cans diced green chiles

         1or 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, and 1 Tbsp. of the adobo sauce

         2 15-oz. cans Great Northern beans or other white beans, drained and well-rinsed

         1/2 C. chopped cilantro

         Salt and pepper to taste

                   1. Heat oil in a 4-quart stockpot on high heat.

                   2. Add the chicken breasts and saute until golden brown on both sides, about 5-8 minutes.                                          3. Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool.

                   4. Add the chicken broth, onion, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chiles, and beans to the pot. With a potato masher, mash some of the beans to create a thicker soup.  Allow the soup to simmer 10 minutes.

                   5. While soup is simmering, dice the cooked chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

                   6. Add the chicken to the pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes while you chop the cilantro.

                   7. Add the cilantro, just before serving. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or chile powder if desired.  Serve topped with shredded cheese or tortilla chips.

                   Options: If you have more time, roast and dice fresh chiles instead of using canned.