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Home » Recipes » Soups and Stews

White Chicken Chili with Kale

Last Modified: Jun 13, 2024. Originally Published: Apr 2, 2021 by Janessa.

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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.

Jump to:
  • The Ingredients
  • The Method
  • Leftovers
  • Make It Your Own
  • Serving Ideas
  • And if you liked this recipe...
  • Recipe Card
  • Comments
Bowl of white chicken chili with kale. Topped with cilantro and green onions with avocado and tortilla on the side.

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

Ingredients for white chili with chicken and kale.
  • 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. Or use homemade white beans.
  • 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.

All of the ingredients except the kale mixed together in a large pot prior to cooking.

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.

Chicken that has been shredded with a hand mixer.

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!

Chili that has been partially pureed with an immersion blender.

4. Mix in chicken. Stir the chicken back in.

Chicken mixed back into the pot of chili.

5. Add kale. Increase the heat to medium high and stir in the kale until wilted (about 5 minutes).

Kale stirred into the chili and wilted.

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.

Bowl of white chicken chili.

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
    • Garlic Kale 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! Join my email list and receive My FREE Meal Plan (Including Grocery List!) as a gift>>>

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

Recipe Card

Bowl of white chicken chili topped with cilantro.

White Chicken Chili with Kale

Add this recipe to your easy and healthy, one-pot meal repertoire! So delicious and freezes well.
4.91 from 41 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 296kcal

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
US Customary - Metric
(Prevent your screen from going dark)

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!

Notes

Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1273mg | Potassium: 657mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3825IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 6mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

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Comments

    4.91 from 41 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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  1. Sue says

    August 25, 2022 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    So comforting, and I have tons of kale in my CSA box this week!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      August 25, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      Thank you for your kind review, Sue!

      Reply
  2. Amanda says

    August 25, 2022 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      August 25, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amanda!

      Reply
  3. Amy says

    August 25, 2022 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    This white chicken chili was so delicious! I love how easy it was to make too!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      August 25, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      Thank you for your kind review, Amy!

      Reply
      • Mia says

        October 06, 2024 at 2:58 pm

        1 star
        This was disgusting, to the point where I’m going to throw it out and try to save the chicken for something else. Not sure why how it has good reviews, but the flavor is severely lacking and the kale taste overpowers every bite. I even used chicken bone broth for more flavor, but it didn’t help.

        Reply
        • Janessa says

          October 07, 2024 at 10:28 am

          I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like this recipe, Mia. I know how frustrating it is to waste your time and ingredients! Myself and others have really enjoyed this recipe but everyone's tastes are different.
          You did say that you found the kale flavor to be overwhelming. Did you use baby kale or regular kale? I find baby kale to be a bit milder which is why I call for it in the recipe.

          Reply
  4. Tavo says

    August 25, 2022 at 11:05 am

    5 stars
    I enjoyed very much the white chili and we loved the addition of kale. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      August 25, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      I'm glad you liked this recipe, Tavo!

      Reply
  5. Tayler says

    August 25, 2022 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      August 25, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tayler!

      Reply
  6. Sarah Barker says

    June 28, 2023 at 4:14 pm

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      June 29, 2023 at 8:06 am

      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.

      Reply
  7. Shirley says

    October 08, 2024 at 6:07 pm

    5 stars
    I’m not much of a chili lover but this is really good. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      October 08, 2024 at 9:56 pm

      I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Shirley! Thank you for your kind review.

      Reply
Janessa

Hi, I'm Janessa and I'm passionate about sharing recipes that are made with wholesome ingredients, are quick and easy and most importantly, delicious!

More about me →

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