White Chicken Chili

With the warm summer sun drifting past and cool fall breezes beginning to sweep in I thought it might be nice to begin the new season with a little classic comfort food. White Chicken Chili is a delicious, satisfying meal in a pot, simple to prepare and is moderate in carbohydrates. Considering it is a meal unto its own, the net carb count of 13.2 grams for a full sized serving is most reasonable for many people, even us low-carbers. I've also used a classic thickening technique for soups to add body to the chili and some of you may be familiar with it. By pureeing part of the cooked vegetables and beans then adding it back to the mixture and reducing the liquids you will have a nice thick chili. This dish is also a change of pace from chili con carne with red beans and is a bit lighter with less fat and calories per serving. Don't let that fool you though, the taste is bold and the texture is thick; just like chili should be. I hope you enjoy.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 1/2 cups onion, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced

1 cup celery, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups yellow bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup jalapeno pepper, diced (or to taste)

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup canned white cannellini beans, rinsed

1 Tbsp. liquid mesquite smoke

1 Tbsp. coriander

1 Tbsp. cumin'

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano or whatever available

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup cilantro, rough chopped

Preheat a large, heavy bottom pot or dutch oven and add the canola oil. Saute vegetables and garlic until they just begin to become caramelized on medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove half of the vegetable mixture and reserve. Saute chicken with the remaining vegetables.

Puree reserved vegetables, the chicken stock and half of the beans until smooth in a blender or bowl of a food processor. Add to pot when the chicken has browned. Add the remaining beans, liquid smoke and all of the herbs and spices, except the cilantro. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for about 1 hour or more until chili is thickened. Finish by stirring in the cilantro and lime juice before serving.

 
Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200.5
Total Fat 3.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 65.0 mg
Sodium 695.8 mg *may vary depending upon your brand and be lower
Potassium 561.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.5 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 28.7 g