White Bean Chicken Chili

Chop veggies. I do mine finely because I don’t like chunks of veggies. Saute veggies in butter and oil until tender. I do this over medium low heat for 25 minutes because they tend to brown if cooked on higher heat.

Once tender, add the heavy cream and beans. You can use leftover chicken or get a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the market. If you have none made, you can bake the breasts, which I prefer for tenderness, or boil them, then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Do this ahead of making the soup. Add the chicken to the cream and beans. Bring up the heat to near boiling.

Add chicken stock and get the heat back up. Season with spices. Stir.

While the heat is up to a near boil, add your roux to thicken. To make the roux, mix up equal parts of flour and vegetable oil. I’ve found a half cup of each lends the perfect thickness for me. At this point, gradually pour in the roux until it thickens to your liking. This will take a few minutes to thicken. Then, just simmer for ten minutes or longer to get the spices and roux incorporated.

This is a flavorful, but not spicy soup. If you want more kick, increase the chili powder to a tablespoon.