I went searching for a copycat version of Ruby Tuesday’s White Chili a few years ago.  I don’t think I found it but I put this simple version together after combing through a variety of recipes.  I posted this recipe once before but when I went looking for it, I realized it was 2.5 years ago.  It is so good, it deserves repeating.

This is a great recipe for using up pantry items.  It is easy, yummy, filling, not horrible for you, and warms you right up.

(Not all ingredients pictured.  I had already started cooking when I thought to take this photo.)

White Chicken Chili

3/4 lb chicken cooked and cut up into bite size pieces or shredded (I prefer poached breasts but you could use any chicken you like cooked however you prefer)

1 sweet yellow onion, diced

1 can 4 oz green chiles (if you like heat, also add 1 can chopped jalapeños – if not, leave them out)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

generous hand full of fresh chopped cilantro leaves (I didn’t have any so I used a couple of squirts from the refrigerated tube pictured above – is a decent substitute for fresh..you can find it in the produce section near the fresh packaged herbs)

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (adjust according to taste…less if you don’t like heat)

6 cups of chicken broth (3 small cans or 1.5 cartons)

3 cans 15oz great northern white beans – drained (you could substitute 1 can of garbanzo beans in place of one of these if you like a variety)

1 can of corn (more if you like – I used 1 can and 1 small box frozen)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used medium…but any mildish cheese would be fine) Optional

(If you know me, you know I don’t dice anything…I throw it all in my food processor because I is lazy and because I don’t like onion or pepper/chile chunks.)  Throw the diced onion, minced garlic, chiles/peppers, cilantro, cumin and cayenne pepper  in the bottom of your soup pan with a little bit of olive oil and saute for a couple of minutes.

Take 1 can of the white beans and puree in the food processor with a cup of chicken broth until smooth. Add to the soup pan (this will thicken the soup base). Add the rest of your chicken broth to the soup pan. Add the chicken chunks/shreds, can of corn (drained), and other 2 cans of beans. Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. After the chili is done, add a cup of shredded cheese and stir until melted. If you don’t want to add the calories/fat to the soup, don’t add the shredded cheese – reserve it for garnish for those who want it.   A dollop of sour cream is also a nice addition to each bowl.  And Steve likes to crush up a few tortilla chips on top of his.