It’s definitely soup season and this one is one of my many versions of a chicken chili. I love using mashed beans rather than cream to create a healthy and flavorful thickness that doesn’t rely on dairy. When making soups, I always try to start with my own stock. It is a bit more time consuming but it is so much healthier and more flavorful to start from scratch. The extra stock can be frozen and used to steam rice or other sauces. If you don’t have the time to make your own stock, you can substitute a store bought stock and a rotisserie chicken. You will need about 3 cups of shredded chicken. I also like to boil my own beans rather than the canned variety. If you need more heat, add chili powder or cayenne in your spice blend and serve with extra thinly sliced jalapeño. This version is a bit more mild.

Serves 4

for chicken stock:

  • 1 whole chicken (3 1/2-5 pounds) 1 large yellow onions, quartered
  • I onion, quartered
  • 1 carrot, peeled and halved
  • 1 celery stalk with leaves, cut into thirds
  • 5 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

for soup:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, small dice
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 6 cups chicken reserved chicken stock
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 30 oz white beans
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • Juice of one lime
  • salt & pepper to taste

Garnish:

  • Cilantro leaves
  • 1 jalapeno sliced, optional
  • Extra lime for serving

Instructions:

for stock:

Place the chicken, along with other ingredients in a large pot and add about 2 quarts of water (water should reach almost to the top of chicken) and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let the stock continue to cook for about 40 minutes-1 hour. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it off the bones in small pieces and save for the soup.

assemble soup:

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots poblano and garlic and saute until fragrant (about 5 minutes).

Mash about 1 cup of the white beans with a fork and set aside. Add chicken chicken stock, corn, ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika. Bring to a boil and add reserved chicken, whole beans and mashed beans to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and fresh lime juice, garnish as desired. Enjoy!