White Chicken Chili (Best Ever)

Submitted by Elizabeth Christensen and Kaylene Myers - added 5/1/24

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (7 oz.) can 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
• 1 1/4 cup frozen or fresh corn
• 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked rotisserie or leftover chicken
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 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.
2. 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.
3. Stir in chicken, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with Monterrey Jack cheese, more cilantro, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.
4. **If you don't own a food processor you can skip the pureeing step, soup just won't be quite as creamy.