Phena's Best White Chicken Chili

Phena Guidry made this for a chili cookoff and everybody loved it. It is a white chicken chili—no tomatoes, no roux. The body comes from cannellini beans and a good chicken stock, and the creaminess comes from Greek yogurt stirred in at the end. She is firm about one thing: use homemade stock if you have it. It makes the difference between this and every other bowl of white chili you have had.

It works three ways—Instant Pot, stove top, or slow cooker—and it holds up in the freezer, so it is worth making a big batch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large chicken breasts, or leftover chicken
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped or sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen corn, or small ears of frozen corn on the cob
• 1 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp finely chopped jalapenos
• 1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans, drained
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 can coconut milk (optional)
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• Cilantro

Instructions

1. Saute the onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the cumin and oregano, then salt and black pepper to taste.
2. After 3 to 4 minutes, add the carrots, corn, cannellini beans, jalapenos and diced green chilies.
3. Lay the uncooked chicken breasts or leftover shredded chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour the stock over the chicken.
4. Instant Pot: manual for 22 minutes. Stove top: simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Slow cooker: high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 5 to 6 hours.
5. Remove the chicken breasts, shred them, and return the chicken to the pot. Take out about a cup of stock and let it cool, then mix it well with the Greek yogurt and stir that back in. If there is too much liquid, let it simmer a bit. The coconut milk is optional, but it makes the broth rich.
6. Add about 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro and 1 Tbsp lime juice. Add more salt to taste.
7. Garnish with grated cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado and chopped tomatoes. For crunch, add crushed tortilla chips or air-fried corn tortilla strips.

Notes

• Let the cup of stock cool before mixing it with the yogurt. Combining yogurt with very hot broth keeps it from going smooth. A blender helps—Phena uses a Ninja.
• Homemade broth makes the chili taste considerably better than stock out of a box.
• The coconut milk is optional and makes the broth noticeably richer.
• This one is built for large batches and it freezes well.