It was one of those heavy, foggy San Francisco days and while putting laundry away, Giada’s TV show was playing in the background. When she said, “white bean and chicken chili” it immediately caught my attention. I tuned in right then and there to see what was next. The ingredients she used seemed so light and yet so flavorful when all combined, I just had to make it. This chili is perfect for both summer and winter days and as always, so much tastier the next day! However, I did make some changes to the chili. Instead of ground chicken, I used ground turkey. Also, the recipe also calls for swiss chard but I used spinach leaves instead (about 3/4 of a salad bag). In the end, it was delicious and my husband loved it.

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Adapted by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
* 2 tablespoons ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces or spinach leaves
* 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
* 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken or turkey, salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken or turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken or turkey mixture. Add the beans, swiss chard or spinach, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Tags: chicken, chili, white bean

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 6:10 am and is filed under Featured, Main Course, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.