White Bean Chicken Chili

To regular readers of my column, it is probably no secret that autumn is my favorite time of year. In anticipation of cooler weather, I have been pulling my cozy sweaters and flannels out of storage while thinking about simmering pots on the stovetop, or bubbling casseroles in the oven. Inspired by the continuing bumper crop of peppers from our garden, I found myself craving the comforting warmth found in a batch of white bean chili. Made with ground chicken and plenty of roasted green chilies, this flavorful recipe comes together quickly, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 poblano peppers

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, rinsed

3 cups chicken broth

Juice of 1 lime

For serving:

Fresh avocado slices

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh jalapeño, sliced

Sour cream

Lime wedges

Directions:

Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Add the whole poblano peppers to the hot pan. Roast the peppers, turning with tongs, until charred on all sides. When done, immediately place peppers in a large bowl and cover tightly with a lid or plate. Allow peppers to sit for at least 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use your fingers to peel the charred skins off the peppers, then stem and seed them. Chop the roasted peppers and set aside.

In a Dutch-oven or heavy soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until melted together. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until starting to soften. Add the oregano, sliced garlic, and jalapeño, stirring to combine. Continue to cook until fragrant, about another 2 minutes. Next, add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, and season with salt (½ teaspoon fine sea salt or 1 teaspoon of kosher salt) and a crack of black pepper. Cook, stirring often and breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon, until chicken is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the reserved chopped poblano peppers, white beans, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally as the chili thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Use the back of the spoon to mash some of the beans as it cooks to help thicken the chili. Add the lime juice and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, chili, or black pepper as needed. If the chili gets too thick too fast, you can add more chicken broth as needed. Serve in bowls and top with your favorite toppings such as avocado, chopped cilantro and fresh jalapeño slices.

Notes:

Roasting and peeling your own green chilies is an extra step that is not hard to do and adds a lot of flavor. Poblano peppers are larger, heart-shaped chili peppers with a mild spice and dark green color. You can substitute other mild green chilies like Anaheim peppers for the poblanos. In a pinch you could also use 2 (4-ounce) cans of diced green chilies and skip the step of charring and peeling your own. Drain the canned chilies and add them at the same time as the beans.

You can use any ground red chili powder you have on hand, such as ground ancho, cayenne, California, chipotle, or even paprika. If you have it, a ½ teaspoon of ground coriander would also be lovely added at the same time as the cumin.

Have plenty of fresh toppings at the table to pass around. Crumbled cotija or shredded Monterey Jack would also be delicious on top. Serve with hot corn bread or your favorite corn chips.

Enjoy!