White Chicken Chili / Tortilla Soup

One of my favorite recipes that Kathryn has ever made for me. She first introduced me and this chili when I was just a couple of days home from the hospital with my first baby almost eight years ago. It has been a staple in our home ever since. We love it. It is easy, delicious, and has won chili cookoff contests.

Start by cooking your chicken. The recipe suggests sauteing cubed chicken breasts in 1 tsp olive oil until just cooked through or starting to turn golden brown. I prefer to cook my chicken breasts in my pressure cooker with some green salsa over them. The chicken shreds and has a wonderful flavor this way. Either way, cook your chicken, and set it aside.

The next job is preparing the tomatillos. An excellent task for tiny hands. My 22 month old loves peeling tomatillos. I always make a triple batch, so it takes awhile. Give those kiddos a job, I say. They need to be husked, washed, and chopped.


I prefer to chop the tomatillos finely, because there is less of a final texture issue for my kids. I use the magical food chopper that I got from Emergency Essentials. Best $16.95 I ever spent. Takes a couple of minutes to dice these all beautifully.

Next finely dice your onions. I used purple this time, because it's what I had on hand. It tasted wonderful in the finished chili.

Cook onion, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic in 1 T olive oil. Cook on high for about 5 minutes, until they release their juices. Then add spices, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.

Add beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, remaining spices, and chicken. Mix cornstarch with water and pour into simmering chili to thicken.

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese and tortilla strips or chips.

Cut-and-Paste Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup

(Adapted from the Low-fat Living Cookbook by Leslie L. Cooper)

1 teaspoon + 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, chopped
10 tomatillos, husked and chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
Salt
3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cans (15oz each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained =3 C (Sometimes I use a mixture of pinto, black, and great northern beans.
1 1/2 cup corn kernels (1 can)
1/3 large bunch chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
Ground black pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp ground cumin

Start by cooking the chicken. Either sauté until just cooked through and starting to brown in 1 tsp olive oil, or cook in pressure cooker or slow cooker with green salsa over top. I prefer the second method. Set chicken aside.

Cook onion, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic in 1 T olive oil. Cook on high for about 5 minutes, until they release their juices. Then add spices, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.

Add beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, remaining spices, and chicken. Mix cornstarch with water and pour into simmering chili to thicken.

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese and tortilla strips or chips.