White Bean Chicken Chili

White bean chicken chili (serves 50-60)

INGREDIENTS:

SOUP:

·         9 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

·         6 tablespoon oil

·         3 cup chopped onion

·         12 cloves garlic, finely minced

·         6 poblano pepper or large green pepper, diced

·         192 ounces low-sodium chicken broth (24 cups)

·         2 tbl cumin

·         1 tbl salt

·         1 tbl pepper

·         1 tbl dried oregano

·         1 tbl chili powder

·         12 cans (15-ounces each) white beans (like Great Northern), rinsed and drained (180 ounces)

·         Juice of 6 limes

·         3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

GARNISHES:

·         Sour cream

·         Avocado, diced

·         Chopped cilantro

·         Shredded cheese

·         Tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Place the chicken in the bottom of a round, 5-quart slow cooker. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until rippling and hot. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.

2.       Add the chicken broth and stir in the cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder.

3.       Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4.       Remove the chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir in the rinsed and drained beans. Cook on high for 30 minutes until beans/soup are heated through. Stir in the lime and cilantro and add salt and pepper to taste.

5.       Serve with garnishes.

NOTES:

A variation we’ve come to love recently is to add chopped zucchini to the chicken and broth mixture, letting it cook for 6-8 hours with everything else. I scoop out all the zucchini and a bit of the broth and give it a good blend in the blender and stir it back in with the beans. It adds a hint of thickness and creaminess (you can thank this soup for the idea).