Made with blended white beans in place of cream and handful of other simple ingredients, this one pot white chicken chili gives a healthy spin to a classic comfort food. With minimal chopping, one pot and less than an hour, you'll have this hearty meal ready for the whole family to enjoy. It also makes great leftovers for meal prep.
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I don't think you can ever have too many easy, one-pot meal recipes and this White Chicken Chili with Kale is begging to be added to your repertoire!
Packed with flavour, cooked mostly hands off and filled with wholesome ingredients (like this One Pot Turkey Chili!), it is perfect for a night when you don't really feel like cooking!
And since it is made with just 5 ingredients plus a few basic seasonings and water, it is the kind of dinner you can make even when you didn't plan ahead!
The Ingredients
- Chicken- If you have 2-3 cups of leftover shredded or diced chicken, you can use that- just stir it in at the end. You can also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Or you can leave the chicken out for a vegan chili and add another can of beans if you prefer.
- White Beans- You need 2 cans or 4 cups cooked of white beans (a.k.a. Great Northern Beans, Navy Beans, Cannellini Beans) for this recipe, that have been rinsed and drained. The beans will be partially blended at the end to thicken the chili.
- Chopped Green Chiles- The 2 cans of chopped green chiles (may also be labelled diced green chiles) are the base of the flavor to this white chili.
- Yellow Onion- A red onion will also work.
- Garlic Powder- You can use 3 cloves of minced garlic instead.
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Oregano
- Sea Salt
- Cayenne -If you are sensitive to spice, you can reduce or omit.
- Water
- Baby Kale- This can be left out or you can use a different green such as spinach.
The Method
1. Simmer. Add all of the ingredients except the chicken and kale to a large pot and stir. Set the chicken in the centre and push down so that it is submerged in the broth. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
2. Shred Chicken. Once the chicken is cooked through (165 F), remove it to a large bowl. Shred the chicken using a hand mixer (best trick ever- it takes less than a minute!). You can also shred it with your two forks or dice it into small cubes if you prefer.
3. Puree. Use an immersion blender to blend part of the chili in order to thicken it. You can skip this step if you like. Or, if you don't have an immersion blender, you can place a few scoops in a regular blender to thicken and then stir it back in. Be careful when blending hot liquids that you don't over fill the blender!
4. Mix in chicken. Stir the chicken back in.
5. Add kale. Increase the heat to medium high and stir in the kale until wilted (about 5 minutes).
6. Serve! Top with all of your favourite chili toppings and enjoy.
Leftovers
To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes with an extra splash of water.
Make It Your Own
- Add Corn- Stir in 1-2 cups of frozen or canned corn at the same time as the shredded chicken.
- Change Up the Greens- Substitute spinach or Swiss chard in place of the kale.
- Used Pulled Pork- If you have some leftover Pulled Pork hanging around, omit the chicken in the recipe. Then once you have pureed the soup, stir in 2-3 cups of leftover pork and cook for 5-10 minutes to warm through.
- Make It Vegan- Leave out the chicken and add an additional can of white beans.
Serving Ideas
- Top it with:
- Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Avocado
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Tortilla Chips
- Have it alongside:
- Corn Tortillas
- Cornbread
- Honey Oat Bread
- Crispy Baked Sweet Plantains
- Or check out this list of 36 Perfect Ideas to Serve with White Chicken Chili (Plus Toppings!) for even more inspiration
LET ME PLAN YOUR DINNERS! Get My FREE Meal Plan (Including Grocery List!)>>>
And if you liked this recipe...
...you might also like:
- My Favorite Ground Beef Tacos
- White Cheddar Chicken Nachos
- Buffalo Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker)
- My Favorite Pork Carnitas
White Chicken Chili with Kale
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (19 oz) cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed (or 4 cups cooked)
- 2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 and ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 and ½ cups water
- 5 oz chopped baby kale
Instructions
- To a large pot, add the beans, chiles, onion, garlic, seasonings and water and stir. Place the chicken in the centre and push it down to submerge it in the broth.
- Place the pot over medium heat, and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165 F.
- Remove the chicken to a large bowl and shred using a hand mixer.
- Using an immersion blender, puree about half to two thirds of the chili to thicken it.
- Add the chicken back into the pot and then stir in the kale. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until the kale is wilted.
- Serve!
Sue
So comforting, and I have tons of kale in my CSA box this week!
Janessa
Thank you for your kind review, Sue!
Amanda
This soup turned out great! The chili powder added a nice kick, and it made for such a hearty soup. Will definitely make this again with fall coming up.
Janessa
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amanda!
Amy
This white chicken chili was so delicious! I love how easy it was to make too!
Janessa
Thank you for your kind review, Amy!
Tavo
I enjoyed very much the white chili and we loved the addition of kale. Thanks for the recipe.
Janessa
I'm glad you liked this recipe, Tavo!
Tayler
I made this chili with dinner last night and it was amazing! My whole family loved it so we will definitely be making it again soon!
Janessa
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tayler!
Sarah Barker
When making this soup (delish, by the way) I found 2 1/2 cups of water not enough. I felt I needed to add another cup to cover the ingredients. Anyone else?
Janessa
Hi Sarah, I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe! I personally always make it with 2 and 1/2 cups to achieve my desired consistency but you can definitely add more 🙂 It may depend on the diameter of the pot being used as to whether the water level is high enough to cover the ingredients. Thank you for taking the time to leave your comments.