Chili was my families go to recipe when school began. Hot, rich and satisfying, everyone loved chili especially when accompanied by homemade cornbread, biscuits or hot sourdough bread. Unfortunately, now that my parents are quite elderly (94 & 100) they can’t tolerate the acid. Like many IC’ers, they’ll be up several times a night after eating tomato sauce. The other night I was in the mood for a warm bowl of goodness and decided to experiment by making a tomato less “white chili.” It was quite good.

What I didn’t realize is that I wasn’t the first to play with this idea. I’ve found several recipes for white chili on the web, with some skewing towards traditional chili flavors while others incorporate wine and italian spices. I view every pot of chili an adventure, filled with whatever veggies are in my fridge. Onions can be challenging for some IC’ers. White onions tend to be less irritating than yellow or red. Maui sweet onions are a popular favorite but if you’re concerned, you can leave these onions out entirely. You can’t go wrong by adding carrots, zucchini, bell peppers and mushrooms to the pot. Half a bag of frozen corn in the chili or the cornbread is always tasty. The challenge lays in the spices. I prefer milder heat but if you have family members who want more, feel free to add some poblano the mix!

Selecting your beans is another fun choice. They provide not only flavor but also fiber. You can’t go wrong with a serving of beans every day to keep your bowels moving along. Remember, women should be consuming 20 to 25 grams of fiber per day and men 25-30 grams of fiber. I prefer using “white” or “navy beans” which I find very tasty yet without the gas that red kidney beans can cause. Just one cup of navy beans is a whopping 19 grams of fiber. I’m not a fan of black beans and have found that they can be a wee bit acidic. On the otherhand, garbanzo beans are very bladder friendly. Of course, it’s not a proper bowl of chili without grated cheese, scallions and/or a dash of sour cream on top! 

White Chicken & Veggie Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive olive oil
  • 1 diced white onion (leave out if you are sensitive)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup portobello mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sliced green, red or yellow bell pepper
  • 1/2 bag frozen corn
  • 3 cans no salt added white beans
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • dash of salt
  • sour cream 
  • cheddar cheese, shredded
  • green onions, thinly sliced
  • avocados, thinly sliced.

Instructions

Lightly sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until clear but not brown. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Place cooked chicken in a bowl and set aside. In the same pan, sauté zucchini, mushrooms, carrots. peppers and corn. Sauté until soft, roughly ten minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, and add the white beans, chicken stock and spices to your preference. Simmer, covered, for roughly 30 minutes. If you want a creamier base, consider adding sour cream to the pot as well. Serve in bowls, with your choice of sour cream, sliced green onions, shredded cheese and/or avocado.  Serve with cornbread, biscuits or sourdough french bread!