Poblano White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small white onion (peeled and diced)
• 2 large poblano peppers (cored and diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 (15-ounce) cans white or pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 3 cups (about 1 pound) diced or shredded cooked chicken*
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• toppings: chopped fresh cilantro

Steps

1. 1

   Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and poblano peppers and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.

2. 2

   Add the next round of ingredients. Add the chicken stock, ground cumin, chili powder and stir to combine.

3. 3

   Blend the beans. While the soup is heating, ladle out about 1 cup of the soup and transfer it to a blender.* Add one (rinsed and drained) can of beans to the blender too, then purée until smooth.

4. 4

   Add the remaining ingredients. Add the purée, chicken, and the remaining 2 cans of beans to the soup and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer and cook for 5 more minutes.

5. 5

   Season. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.

6. 6

   Serve. Serve warm, garnished with lots (and lots!) of your favorite toppings.