White Bean Chicken Chili

I found this recipe on allrecipes. When it comes to soups and stews, I have found that they are really just a guideline. Throw in what you like. If it's not good - don't do that next time. Maybe it's just the time of year, but when I'm making soup, sometimes I feel like a witch as I throw ingredients into my bubbling cauldron.

This chili is wonderful. I usually make it for gatherings, because it's not the type of soup my family will eat. So I'd rather enjoy it with my friends instead of fighting with the kids about eating it. It's also not that spicy and that's how I like it. If you want more heat, add some.

Below is how I made it last time, for our playgroup.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons oil
1/4 C dried onions
2 tsp. minced garlic

1 pound chicken

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
2 (1 4 .5 once) cans diced tomatoes
2 (4 ounce) can of whole green chilis, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans cannellini/white kidney beans, rinsed

1 can kernel corn with liquid

1 can sweet corn with liquidcd
salt and pepper to taste

IDEAS FOR GARNISH:

limes, cilantro, cheese, avocados, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil, and sauté the chicken with the onions and garlic, until nice and browned. This may need to be done in batches (see note). Add the broth to the chicken and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 15 minutes. More simmering = better flavor in my book. Make sure that you bring the soup back down to a simmer after it boils, or else your chicken will become tough if it sits in a rolling boil for too long.

Lots of Notes (Sorry, it's a control issue)!

I usually cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and then cook them. You could easily just throw in whole pieces, but then you should take them out after they are cooked and cut them up. To get a nice browning, your pan should be quite hot and not overfilled with chicken or else it will just steam - which isn't bad - the most important thing is that the chicken is cooked through.

If you have already cooked chicken, just throw it in with the broth after you heat up the onions and the garlic in the oil. You can add more or less chicken depending on how much you have. My friend Heather posted this on her blog and wondered if she might just make it chickenless one day.

I use dried onions, because I have a giant can of them, but feel free to use a fresh onion if you want to. Same with the garlic - mine comes from a jar in the fridge - but if you have fresh cloves, use them.

What are Tomatillos? Well, you can get them fresh also, but I get mine from a can in the Spanish isle at Smiths (not sure if Days even carries them). They seem like green tomatoes to me, and are quite interesting in my opinion, they kind of explode when you chop them up.

I'm sure you could use a variety of different types of tomatoes - fresh, stewed, bottled, diced - I wouldn't recommend paste or sauce, but who knows it might be the best soup you've ever had. Same with beans, there are many varieties - but if you don't use white ones, then you have to change the title.

And finally, corn: really, use what ya got, fresh, frozen, canned, I throw in the juice, but you don't have to - it's all good. I mean isn't that what making soup is all about - using up what's in your pantry/freezer. This is a great food storage recipe - hey, if you're up for it, you can even use canned chicken!

P.S. I just went to look in the fridge to see what kind of "garlic from a jar" I have, and I can only find the lid. Now I'm really worried about where I might find the bottle. Wonder who was watching Henry?