White Creole Chicken and Bean Chilli

This White Creole Chicken and Bean Chilli is the perfect alternative to a robust tomato-centric chilli.

And while the base is stock and a bit of cream, this flavour packed chilli isn’t at all cloying or heavy.  A perfect chilli for these colder days.  It is also a great source of protein, with the stock, chicken, white beans, and the finish of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.  And like all chillis, this one tastes even better on day two, since the flavours have been able to hang out together and become good friends.

Basic Ingredients

There is nothing outlandish or hard to source to make this chilli.

Aromatics: onion, garlic, fresh jalapeño peppper, and chopped pickled jalapeño or green peppers.

Vegetables: I’m showing this chilli made with diced parsnips and frozen sweet corn.  You can use a can of corn, but if you are making the recipe below, it calls for one cup.  Of course, go ahead and use the entire can, it won’t alter the final chilli, just make it a tad sweeter! If you want to add celery, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, green or yellow peppers, go for it!

Protein sources: I use homemade stock, but feel free to use your favourite carton version.  If you want to make the richest, collagen-rich stock, just check out my New You Bone Broth.  You can poach chicken ahead of time, see here. Or you can do like me, shredded rotisserie chicken is my go-to.  I often have a container of about two cups ready to go in the fridge.  When I bring home a rotisserie chicken, once all the meat is removed, I will fill two containers with all the meat, with the skins removed, and allowing for me nibbling as I deconstruct the chicken!

A can of cannellini or white navy beans is the other major source of protein.  Feel free to use the size of can you can find, it won’t affect the recipe if you use a smaller or larger can.  Just drain and rinse well first.

Seasonings: The main flavour maker is a couple of teaspoons of my Master Creole Seasoning.  Make a batch, and it will keep you for a good while.  I use it in my Creole Sauce for Pasta and Salmon, any time you want to make a jambalaya type dish of rice and meat, etc. Salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if you so desire.

How We Will Make This Chilli Creamy

It starts with a simple roux, when we are first sautéing the aromatics.  A bit of butter and flour is all that is needed to give the stock and cream a little love.  You will also take about 1/4 cup of the beans, and 1/2 cup of the stock and blend them together.  This gets added at the same time that all the other stock is added to the pot.

At the end, you will also stir in a combination of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.  Many recipes will suggest sour cream.  But using cottage cheese whipped together with the yogurt creates the rich creamy texture that also has the tang we are looking for.  And this combo is much higher in protein than sour cream.

It is as easy as combining the two together in a small Nutribullet type blender, or even a small food processor or chopper.  You just need them both combined and smooth.  I always use a 2-4% cottage cheese, as well as a 2-4% Skyr or Greek yogurt.  It gives you better body, as well less sugar (yes, sugar gets added to dairy products if the fat is removed)

Method

Start by sautéing the onion, garlic and raw jalapeño pepper in butter.  Then add the flour, stock, and cream.  Then the beans, chopped pickled jalapeño peppers, parsnips, and corn. 

Also, if you don’t have any shredded rotisserie chicken, you could also add a large raw chicken breast at this time.  Let everything simmer on low, till the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes or so.  Remove the chicken and once it has cooled down enough to handle, shred it into bite sized pieces, and return to the pot.  You can also poach the chicken in advance and store in the fridge till needed.  See above for the link to the method I rely on for poaching chicken.

Finish with the blended cottage cheese and yogurt mixture, and stir it through.

Garnishes for Serving

Have fun serving this delicate and smooth chilli.  We usually eat it with cubed avocado, chopped cilantro, a splash of lime juice (which really brightens the flavour), shredded cheese, chopped green onion, and more jalapeño pepper.  You can also add a dollop of sour cream, or make extra of the cottage cheese/yogurt combo and add a spoonful on top of each bowl.  Cornbread on the side is also highly recommended! My Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread with Hot Honey is the perfect side. If you are trying to spread this chilli to feed a few more, serving rice on the side will also work.

This chilli tastes even better on day two.  It will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days.  You may want to add a bit more stock or water as you re-heat it over medium low heat, as it will have firmed up in the fridge.

Yes, you can also freeze this chilli. It may separate a bit as it thaws in the fridge, but it should re-incorporate as it cooks on low heat. Two months in the freezer is all I would recommend.

Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding extra beans, a can of chickpeas, and extra vegetables like mushrooms, celery, zucchini etc.  Use vegetable stock to replace the chicken stock.

Print

White Creole Chicken and Bean Chilli

A cozy, creamy chilli made easily with rotisserie chicken, frozen corn, and jarred jalapeño chillies. Fresh parsnips and a can of white beans add fibre. What makes it special is the Creole Seasoning. Leftovers are even better on day two!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Chilli

• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 tbsp flour can use gf cup for cup flour
• 3 cups chicken broth divided, plus more if needed
• 1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 1 15.5 oz (445 ml) can white navy or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp Creole Seasoning see below
• 1 tsp Hot Sauce optional
• 1/4 cup chopped pickled green chillies
• 2 medium parsnips peeled and diced, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn or more as desired
• 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken see notes
• 3/4 cup (6 oz; 170 g) cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper

Garnishes

• fresh lime, chopped cilantro, finely sliced green onion, cubed avocado, shredded cheese

Creole Seasoning, makes 3/4 cup

• 3 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 4 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• Combine well and store in a sealed container in a dark place.

Instructions

White Creole Chicken and Bean Chilli

1. Melt the butter in a medium-large pot over medium heat (the pot should hold at least 8 cups). Add the diced onions and jalapeño pepper, cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the flour and stir well into vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes, to cook out the rawness.
3. Slowly whisk in 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth, stirring continuously. Add the half and half in the same manner.
4. Combine 1/2 cup of the stock with 1/4 cup of the drained white beans, and blend till smooth (blender, food processor or immersion blender will all work) Add this to the soup. Stir through to help thicken the stock. Add the remaining beans.

5. Add the creole seasoning, hot sauce (if using) and chopped pickled green chilies. Add the diced parsnip and corn.

6. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to medium low, for a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to loosen any beans that may be stuck at the bottom.

7. Add the shredded chicken and let it warm through for five minutes.

8. Combine the cottage cheese and yogurt and blend till smooth.
9. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cottage cheese mixture till smooth. If you want to thin the chilli out, if you find it too thick, just stir through a little more stock. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
10. Serve with a splash of lime, chopped cilantro or more jalapeño, cubed avocado, shredded cheese or other favourite topping.
11. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. You may need to add more stock as you re-warm it over low, as it will have firmed up in the fridge.

12. See blog post for more details and suggestions.

Recipe Notes

To make homemade stock, see here.  

To poach chicken, see here
Feel free to use whatever sized can of beans you have on hand, it won't affect the final recipe. Same goes for the corn.

I say it feeds four, maybe five, depending on appetites.  You can also double the recipe if you are feeding a crowd, or want to freeze some as part of your food prep.

If you want to make this vegetarian, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.  Increase the beans, and add extra veg, such as mushrooms, zucchini, sweet potato, yellow pepper, or other favourite vegetable.