Looking for the perfect cold weather comfort meal?! This Dairy-Free White Chicken Chili is just what you need! It’s not only full of flavor and nutrition, but it’s quick, easy, and great for meal prep for a recipe that will last all week long!
Dairy-Free White Chicken Chili
We are dead in the middle of winter, which means it’s time for some cozy recipes! I love basing my meals off of the weather/each time of year. Even though I live in LA and it’s not THAT cold, It’s still so nice to fill up the kitchen with comforting foods in the colder months. Plus, it helps put me in the “winter spirit” since I don’t get all four seasons anymore.
Annddd with colder weather obviously comes soup (or chili in this case)! I’ve been making soo many soups lately, I honestly can’t get enough of them. They’re so cozy and a great way to load up on really good nutrition! This Dairy-Free White Chicken Chili recipe is one of my favorites, so let’s get into it!! I can’t wait for you all to try it out…
What You’ll Need…
Chicken: For the base of this recipe I used chicken, but if you want to make a vegetarian/vegan version I recommend doubling up on the white beans, add a different bean like chickpeas, subbing chicken for jackfruit, or even making “chicken” spiced tempeh!
If you’re interested in a vegan version of this recipe, let me know in the comments below and I’ll start testing it out for you all!
White Beans: For this recipe I used white beans. I always go for canned beans (low-sodium option) because I find that to be the easiest, but you could also get dried beans for an even cheaper option. Just make sure you soak and cook them before-hand if you do get dried beans!
Veggie Broth: You can also use chicken broth (a majority of chicken chili recipes will use chicken broth), but I recommend swapping for veggie broth to get in as much plant-based nutrition as possible. Plus, you won’t even notice a taste difference so it’s a super easy swap!
Vegetables: In this recipe I used white onion, corn and canned fire-roasted chiles! But here are some other options that would be super tasty…
- Fire roasted corn for extra flavor
- Red onion
- Jalapeños for some spice
- Bell pepper if you want your recipe to stay mild
- Spinach to sneak in some extra greens
- Avocado for a creamy and flavorful topping
Spices: I kept it really simple with oregano, cumin and fresh garlic, but some of my other go-to spices that would work perfectly with this recipe are onion powder, chili powder, paprika and red chili flakes.
Cashews: This ingredient may sound a little odd, but this is how to make the soup super creamy without using a cream or daily base! We’re actually going to use the cashews to make a cream sauce, which we’ll go into next…
How to Make Dairy-Free White Chicken Chili
Although this may look and sound like a lot of steps, I promise this recipe is SO simple and hands-off to make!
First thing’s first – we’re going to start by prepping the cashew cream. So, boil some water (just about a cup), add it to a bowl with about 1/2-3/4 cup cashews, and let that sit while you get everything else going…
Next, heat some olive oil in a large soup pot along with the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic/spices and give everything a good mix. Once you’ve done that, you can add the rest of the ingredients – chicken, corn, peppers, beans and veggie broth. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes.
When the 20 minutes is almost up, you can finish off the cashew cream. Drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with a cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth and then just set the mixture aside.
Once the 20 minute timer goes off, remove the chicken from the soup (it should be fully cooked), shred it, and add it back to the pot along with the cashew cream. Give everything another mix and you’re ready to serve with your favorite toppings!
I hope you love this recipe and find it super easy to make! If you do end up re-creating it at home, let me know how it goes!! I’d love to hear what toppings you use or how you switch it up!
And if you’re looking for some other simple and healthy recipes, check out some of my favorites here!
Dairy-Free White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 2-3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can fire-roasted green chiles
- 15 oz canned white beans
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- parsley
- optional toppings: lime, tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, green onion, etc.
Directions
- Add cashews to a bowl with hot/boiling water. Let sit while you prep the soup.
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot on medium/high heat. Once warm, add the diced onion and cook for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the garlic, cumin and oregano, and cook for another minute.
- Add the chicken, broth, corn, peppers and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 20-22 minutes.
- While soup is cooking, drain the cashews and transfer them to a blender with about 1 cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Once soup has simmered for about 20 minutes, remove chicken (making sure it’s fully cooked through), and shred.
- Return chicken to soup with cashew cream sauce and mix well.
- Serve topped with lime, parsley, or any other additional toppings. Enjoy!
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