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Cooked chicken, white beans and corn make this cream-cheese chili substantial without a long simmer. Mash part of the beans before they enter the pot to add body without transferring hot soup to a blender. Add lime and cilantro after the chicken is thoroughly reheated.
Measure two cups of shredded cooked chicken. Cup weight varies with shred size and packing, so the former one-pound equivalence is not used here. Keep raw chicken out of this short reheating sequence.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out: 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- Set out: 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Set out: 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped; 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Set out: 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Set out: 2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles
- Set out: 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained; 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed
- Set out: 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
- Set out: Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded, for garnish
- Set out: 2 cups shredded cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken; 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Set out: 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Set out: 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Set out: 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- Set out: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Set out: Salt and pepper, to taste; 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Stage 2
- Drain the corn and drain and rinse the beans. Mash about one cup of the beans with a fork and set aside.
- Stage 3
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and soften the onion. Add garlic and stir briefly without browning.
- Stage 4
- Pour in the measured broth and add chiles, corn, whole beans and mashed beans.
- Stage 5
- Stir in the measured spices. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook about fifteen minutes.
- Stage 6
- Lower the heat and add cream cheese in small cubes. Stir until dispersed, then add the shredded cooked chicken.
- Stage 7
- Continue gently until the chicken and chili reach 165°F throughout. Stir in lime and cilantro, taste for seasoning and serve with optional shredded cheese.
Reserve about a cup of the drained beans and mash them with a fork before cooking. Add the mash with the whole beans. This avoids handling a cup of scalding soup in an unsuitable sealed blender.
When does the cream cheese go in?
Add small cubes after the broth, vegetables and spices have simmered. Lower the heat and stir until dispersed rather than boiling hard. Cubing helps it warm evenly without leaving large cool lumps.
How spicy is the pot?
Green chiles, chili powder and cayenne all contribute heat, with considerable brand variation. Taste only after the cooked chicken has reheated to 165°F. A cheese garnish is optional and does not replace the cream cheese in the base.
Can the broth be measured directly?
Use three and one-half cups of low-sodium chicken broth. This avoids relying on an approximate number of cans when packages differ. Drain corn and rinse beans so their packing liquid does not change that amount.
Storage and serving later
Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below; do not wait for a large hot batch to cool completely on the counter. University of Illinois Extension’s leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window and 165°F for reheating foods served hot. Keep cold salads and toppings chilled, and follow shorter product-label limits where applicable.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see Tuscan-Style White Bean Soup with Bacon, Potato and Kale or Beer Cheese Soup with a Vegetable Roux Base. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal.
USDA’s temperature guidance specifies 165°F when reheating leftovers. Thermometer placement guidance explains checking the thick center rather than relying on surface color.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- How much chicken is required?
Measure two cups of shredded cooked chicken. Cup weight varies with shred size and packing, so the former one-pound equivalence is not used here.
- How can beans thicken the chili?
Reserve about a cup of the drained beans and mash them with a fork before cooking. Add the mash with the whole beans.
- When does the cream cheese go in?
Add small cubes after the broth, vegetables and spices have simmered. Lower the heat and stir until dispersed rather than boiling hard.
- How spicy is the pot?
Green chiles, chili powder and cayenne all contribute heat, with considerable brand variation. Taste only after the cooked chicken has reheated to 165°F.
- Can the broth be measured directly?
Use three and one-half cups of low-sodium chicken broth. This avoids relying on an approximate number of cans when packages differ.