White Chili (Football Soup)

Tornado Ali's Note:

This recipe comes from The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery in historic Kimmswick, MO. My daughter named it "Football Soup" because we always make it when we have a crowd over watching the game after church! Incredibly easy, freezes beautifully, and my bean hating husband even loves it. I add an extra can of green chilies for more flavor. You can make it without the chicken for a cheaper meatless meal, and you can make it without the monterey jack cheese for a low-fat, less thickened soup (but the cheese adds a lot of flavor!)

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions , chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped mild green chilies
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano , crumbled
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 (16 ounce) cans great northern beans , undrained
• 6 cups chicken stock or 6 cups canned chicken broth
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken , to taste
• 3 cups grated monterey jack cheese (about 12 oz.)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat.
2. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, then chilies, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and saute 2 minutes.
4. Add undrained beans and stock and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and add chicken and cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls.
7. FOR FREEZING: Pour soup into a rigid container (or freezer bag), label and freeze. To reheat, thaw in refridgerator overnight or simply put frozen soup into a large pot and gently heat, with lid on and stirring often, till heated through.

Reviews

[TheDancingCook]

Very good; I followed suggestions from other reviewers and did some tweeking, for flavor, color and to boost thickness: I seasoned my chicken breasts with some chili seasoning and grilled them. I added a 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes, drained. I added 1 stalk celery, chopped and sauteed that w/onion and also added a bit more cumin, cayenne and some chili powder. I had to omit the cheese due to a dietary issue but did add about 1/3 cup of heavy cream, some cornstarch and about a 3/4 cup of frozen corn, to thicken it to make it more like a chili than a soup. Next time, I will add about 1 can less of broth. Otherwise, I followed the rest of ingredients/steps exactly. The end result was quite yummy and I wish I would've made more to keep for myself as I actually made this for a family who is returning to the northeast's crisp fall air from a week long, warm sunny vacation in Florida and thought this would fit the bill! Thanks for posting; I will def make this again....for me! :)

[Chef #1329728]

My wife and I love this recipe so much that it's one of our favorite comfort meals. I made a few changes which we feel added more depth of flavor. First, I seasoned and grilled 2 chicken breasts, and shredded when cooled. I chopped a couple of ribs of celery, 3 carrots, a red bell pepper and the onion. I sauteed the vegetables with a couple of tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. When the vegetables had a little brown color on them, I added the garlic and chilis. I used a can of Pinto beans with 2 cans of Great Northern beans. Combined rest of ingredients (plus some chili powder) and simmered for at least an hour. We did not use any cheese, but for extra flavor I did add some cilantro and chopped green onions on top of chili when served. With homemade corn muffins, we were making yummy noises all during dinner. Thanks for posting a wonderful recipe!

[afullbri]

Very Yummy! I ended up adding a couple more garlic cloves and cumin. They happen to be two of my favorite ingredients. Instead of just adding the cheese I made a cheese sauce with the Monterrey jack, butter and milk. I thought this made for a better consistency. Added this mixture right before serving. Topped the completed chili with a squeeze of lime, cilantro and a spoonful of Mexican Crema.