White chili seems to be one of those divisive soups: people love it or hate it. Some feel like any chili that doesn’t contain beef isn’t really chili.
I enjoy white chili because I love the pronounced flavors of cumin and sour cream. There are so many versions of white chili, but I add corn to mine.
I like to top it with cheese or avocados. Tortilla chips are a good topping, too. This makes a good size batch, enough for six people.
White Chili
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 teaspoons ground cumin powder
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 yellow bell pepper
32 ounces of chicken broth, plus 2 cups
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chopped garlic or dried garlic
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup sour cream
4 ounces chopped green chilies (canned)
¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
2 can cannellini beans
1 can corn, drained
4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
This has a lot of ingredients, but it’s still an easy dish.
Chop onion, yellow bell pepper and chicken and set aside.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion, cumin seed, cumin and chili powder. Cook 5 minutes and then add yellow bell pepper and saute another 3 minutes. Then add the next nine ingredients (everything but the chicken) and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Once you add the sour cream, you don’t want to let the soup boil because it could curdle, so keep the heat at medium.
Add chicken and cook 5 more minutes. Serve.