White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion , diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• 1 (8 oz) pkg Neufchatel cheese (aka light cream cheese), cut into small cubes or 1 cup dairy free milk
• 1 can organic corn
• 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans
• 1 lb chicken breast cutlets, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
• Tortilla chips or strips, monterrey jack cheese, sliced avocado for serving (optional)
• *if it’s too runny mix a cup or so of the chili juice with a couple Tbsp flour or (cassava flour for gluten free)

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 4 minutes minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.

Add chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes.

Drain and rinse beans in a fine mesh strainer or colander then measure out 1 cup. Set whole beans aside, transfer 1 cup beans to a food processor along with 1/4 cup broth from soup, puree until nearly smooth.

Add Neufchatel cheese to soup along with corn, whole beans and pureed beans and stir well. Simmer 5 - 10 minutes longer.

Stir in chicken, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with Monterrey Jack cheese, more cilantro, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.