White chicken
chili.
Creamy without cream, loud enough on cumin and lime, and easy because the chicken is already cooked. Leftover rotisserie chicken gets a much better second act.
A pot worth repeating
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Start the base
Melt 2 tbsp dairy-free butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook about 5 minutes, until softened and beginning to color.
Wake up the spices
Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir for 30–60 seconds, until fragrant.
Build the chili and simmer
Add 2½ cans of whole cannellini beans, the corn, green chiles, and 3 cups chicken broth. Bring to a simmer uncovered. Once it is bubbling, start the 10-minute timer and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally. The clock starts when the chili simmers, not when the cold broth goes in.
Make the bean purée
Blend the remaining 1½ cans of cannellini beans with the remaining 1 cup of broth until smooth. That is the creamy part—no cream required.
Thicken it
Stir the bean purée into the pot. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes, until you see it start to thicken. Stir occasionally and scrape the bottom so the beans do not burn or stick.
Taste before the chicken
Taste and add more cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, or pepper as needed. The listed amounts are a starting point. Broth and rotisserie chicken have their own seasoning, so adjust the pot you actually made.
Add the chicken
Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken breast and simmer gently for about 5 minutes to heat it through, stirring occasionally.
Bring on the lime
Stir in juice from about 1½ limes. Taste again and adjust seasoning. Squeeze even more lime into your own bowl if you are one of my people.
Serve, then top
Ladle the chili into bowls. Set out avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, green onion, extra lime, and dairy-free cheese so your hungry family or guests can choose their own toppings. Offer regular cheese separately for anyone who is dairy-able.
Use the seasoning amounts as a starting point and adjust to taste as the chili cooks. Broth and rotisserie chicken already bring some salt. After adding the bean purée, stir the bottom of the pot now and then. If it still looks thin after 10 minutes, give it a little longer; if it gets thicker than you like, stir in a splash of broth.