taste of fall: white chicken chili

White Chicken Chili

This recipe starts with a key ingredient. A whole cage-free broiler chicken. From that, you'll use the broth it makes, as well as some of it's meat. Known for it's medicinal properties, chicken broth makes this soup healthy and hearty. We usually enjoy this soup for several days, one cup at a time served with lunch and/or dinner or with a slice of freshly baked whole wheat bread and real butter. This recipe makes a large amount (we have 9 people in our family). Feel free to cut measures in half. 

1 16 oz bag of organic dried pinto beans soaked for 24-48 hours and cooked for 3 hours in crockpot (or use 4 cans of white beans) 

1 4-5 lb whole chicken (you'll use 2 cups meat from it)

5-6 cups chicken broth (rendered from baking your chicken)

1 27 oz organic fire roasted diced tomatoes

1/4 cup butter or coconut oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 celery stocks, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 whole garlic cloves, chopped

1 TBSP dried oregano

1 TBSP cumin

2 TBSP chili powder

1/2 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped fresh organic mushrooms

Sea salt and pepper to taste  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse your bird and pat dry (don't forget to remove the neck, heart, etc inside the chest cavity)

Place your whole chicken in a large/deep casserole or dutch oven dish 

Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper

Pour 6 cups of filtered water into the dish

Bake according to size. A 4-5 lb bird will bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours

When it's done, remove the chicken from the broth it created and place it into another dish to cool. When cooled, pull meat from bones. Save bones in the freezer for making stock and save the extra meat for another recipe.

In a large stockpot, melt butter on medium/low

Add onion, celery, carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes

Next, add garlic and spices

Stir well.

Add tomatoes, chicken and broth

Lastly, add mushrooms and beans

Stir well and let simmer for at least 2 hours on low, I have been known to let it simmer 5-6 hours.

II tastes even better re-heated the next day!

This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday - hosted by GNOWFGLINS