I love white chili. Seriously. It’s one of my favorite soups and another classic from my childhood. This recipe I’ve altered slightly over the years and it’s finally arrived to what it is today.

Honestly, I love this recipe for any season. It’s great for cold winds and has a wonderful lime flare to it for the hotter months. If you’ve been following my soup recipes, you’ll find that I have a thing for lemons or limes in my soup.

I just don’t find enough “zing” in regular chicken soup. It’s kinda boring to me. I know, it’s a staple of soups and the common household…but it’s “just okay.” I hope you don’t hate me forever because of that, but it’s just how I feel. So the simple solution for me, is to add that wonderful tart flavor and my world is just dandy.

You can make this soup with chicken breasts and chicken broth–but I like to do things a little different. I’ll give both sets for anyone who prefers it the other way.

White Chili

Author: ApronWarrior

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1Whole Chicken
Enough to barely cover chicken in potWater
1/2 tspGround Cumin
1 tspOregano
1/4 tspCinnamon
1 TBSPOlive Oil
1/2 CupCilantro, finely chopped
4 oz CanDiced Green Chili
60 oz CanPinto Beans, rinsed
2–4Limes, juiced
1 1/2 tspSalt
1lbShredded Jack Cheese

Instructions

Place washed, uncooked chicken in a large pot, breast up. Fill the pot with enough water to barely cover the top of the chicken breast. Add 1 1/2 tsp of salt to water.
Cover and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.
Once chicken is done, remove from pot and allow to cool. (Remove pot with broth from heat as well). I usually remove the skin before allowing to completely cool and slice down along the sternum to allow the inner meat to cool faster. Be careful! Very hot.
Once chicken is cooled, pull apart into small bite sized shreds. Add back into pot.
Skim the broth in the pot to remove any unwanted floaties.
Add all spices, olive oil, pinto beans, cilantro, chilies, and lime juice. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add cheese and allow to melt into soup.
Serve and enjoy 🙂