Thursday Recipe - White Chicken Chili

I served this for dinner the other night. Very tasty soup. My daughter was upset when I told her it was White Chicken Chili. Then she tasted it. Her face lit up in a smile and she said, "I love this soup! Why didn't you just call it tortilla soup?"

Similar soup, but not quite the same.

White Chicken Chili

1 lb dried white navy beans
1 T. butter
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 4 oz can chopped green chilis
1 T. chicken bouillon
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
6 small corn tortillas

Rinse the beans and pick out anything that isn't a bean. Sometimes, stuff gets in the bag like rocks. It happens. Put the beans in a 3-4 quart saucepan and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak overnight. (Or use a quick soak method: wash the beans, cover with hot water, bring to a boil, turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour.)

Drain and rinse the beans again. Put back in the saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours until the beans are mostly cooked.

While the beans are cooking, heat up your trusty 4-6 quart crockpot. Dump the butter, onion, and chicken into it. Cover and cook on high for about an hour, until the chicken is mostly done and the onions are soft.

Dump the beans into the crockpot with the chicken mixture. Add everything else, EXCEPT the tortillas. Add enough water to barely cover. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

An hour before serving, tear the tortillas into smaller pieces. Dump into the soup. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for about an hour.

Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, jalapeños, and shredded cheese.

It takes a long time to cook, but most of that is just simmering. It's a great all-day recipe that doesn't keep you in the kitchen.