Mexican White Chili

I'm sure, where most of you are from, fall is upon you. The cool, crisp air, changing leaves, prime soup weather! However, I'm in Arizona, which means we're still in the 90's. In an effort to challenge the weather to be more like Idaho's, which is where we moved here from back in June, I decided to make some delicious soup for dinner last night.

We love chili at our house, so I decided to make a white chili -- Mexican style. It was fantastic! It's a great alternative to regular chili, and the Mexican twist really makes it even more special. I thought I found this recipe on another recipe blog a girl I used to go to church with does, but when I went back to link to it, I couldn't find the recipe on her site. I'll keep looking for it, and I'll edit this post if I do find it.

Anyway, I modified the original a little bit to make it more my own. The original recipe had way too much onion (and we love onion!) and also too much corn. I also adjusted the seasonings. I really didn't measure the spices, so don't strictly adhere to the measurements I post -- they're just estimates. I just dumped some in and tasted as I went.

I've mentioned before that I really prefer chicken thighs to breasts, so that's what I used in this recipe. I think the flavor is so much better. But you can absolutely use breasts if that's what you prefer! Or, you could cut the chicken out completely and just have yourself a delicious bowl of vegetarian chili. Anyway, I seasoned my chicken thighs with cumin, chili powder, a little cayenne, fresh minced garlic and a squirt of lime juice. So good!

Ingredients:
3 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans chicken broth
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans white beans
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup green salsa
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice

For garnish:
Monterey Jack, shredded
avocado, sliced
cilantro, chopped

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter in a skillet. Season chicken on both sides, and cook until done. Let cool for a few minutes, then shred it, chop it into bite-sized pieces (that's what I did), or even just slice it into strips. Whatever you feel like doing is just fine. Just get 'er done! (Have you seen that show on Comedy Central where that hickish-dude says that?)

Cook onions and garlic in olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add green salsa, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Ladle yourself a yummy bowl full, then top with shredded cheese, avocado slices and cilantro. Serve with cornbread! Now, a note about the cornbread. My plan for last night was to add some diced green chilies and some cheese to my cornbread, which I thought would be fantastic! My husband said he wanted regular cornbread instead, so I didn't do it. But I'm going to next time!

Enjoy!!

It's a darn good thing I have leftovers to eat for lunch today!!