White Bean Chili with Chicken … or Not
“I started making this ridiculously easy version of chili for a crowd long before Mark and I decided to go vegan. Since then I’ve learned to leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It works just as well, and the carnivores never seem to miss the meat. If they do, they know better than to complain. But if you like chicken, by all means, go for it. This is great served with cornbread or crumbled tortilla chips and all the toppings (see below.)”
Ingredients
1 fully cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store deli (or skip it for meatless)
Small amount of olive oil for sauteing the veggies
1 large onion chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced
2 small cans diced and roasted mild green chilis (or 1 fresh poblano, seeded and finely chopped)
4 cups broth vegetable broth (or chicken, if preferred)
2 tsps. whole cumin seed (you can use ground if that's all you've got on hand, but the flavor won't be as strong)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tsp. dried
4 15 oz. cans (use 5-6 for hearty eaters) Great Northern or canellini beans, rinsed well and drained
Toppings to serve on the side: shredded Jack cheese and sour cream (if you're not vegan); 2-3 chopped tomatoes; 2 avocados sliced and tossed with lime; 1 pkg. tortilla chips; chopped red onion, if you like; and chopped fresh cilantro is especially good.
Directions
You can make this in a slow cooker and let it simmer all day, or put it together pretty quickly on top of the stove.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot (I use my favorite Dutch oven that Viv gave us one year for Christmas); saute onions a few minutes until translucent; add the garlic and cook until it smells like garlic (keep stirring and lower heat if need be to prevent it from burning); stir in chilis and heat through.
(Omit this next step for meatless version.) Remove the skin and bones from the cooked chicken and shred the meat into bite-size pieces; add to the pot.
Stir in broth, cumin, oregano and canned beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and flavors have had time to get acquainted (20 minutes or so.) Taste and adjust seasonings. If it seems dry, add more broth; if too wet, mash some of the beans and stir through to thicken it.
Ladle into individual bowls; serve toppings on the side to allow guests to choose their preferences.
Serves 6-8 normal people, 4 pretty big eaters, or 2 who want leftovers.
