White Chicken Chili with Sweet Cilantro Sauce

I usually find my cooking inspiration from other cooking blogs or cooking magazines or books, but this one actually came from a Facebook friend. A dear college friend of mine had posted this recipe as a note on her wall, which then received a gazillion comments from thankful friends who had apparently been the ones to ask for the recipe after tasting it themselves.  Well, all those words of praise were plenty motivation for me to add it to my menu ASAP. 
Now, unlike most of my recipes, which I consider pretty likeable to the whole family, this was one that the little ones didn’t really care for, although I think it had more to do with the plethora of beans than anything else. HOWEVER,  my hubby, me, and the older couple of kids with more discerning palates were in LOVE with it.  It had a wonderful flavor, nice texture, and as promised by my friend who posted it…the sweet cilantro sauce really made it out-of-this-world.  Because of its beautiful presentation with the cilantro sauce drizzled over the top, I am adding this dish to my list of things to take to a potluck or other nice dinner.      Enjoy! 

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:

CHICKEN CHILI:

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 cans (15-ounces each) white beans (kidney, navy….)

4 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

1 large can (7-ounces) chopped chilies

6-8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbs. dried oregano

4 tsp. cumin powder (can go more if you prefer)

1-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

SWEET CILANTRO SAUCE (makes the soup AWESOME!):

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup oil

juice of one lemon

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. salt

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro (can adjust this up or down according to your preferences)

1 Roma tomato, chopped

Directions:

Heat olive oil in hot skillet and sauté onions on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.  In a large saucepan combine beans, onions, diced raw chicken, and chicken broth;  boil and reduce heat to low for 30-45 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through).

Add garlic, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cover pan and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Add sour cream and cheese just  before serving.  Serve hot with sweet cilantro sauce drizzled over the top.  Makes 6 servings. 

For Cilantro Sauce:  In a small saucepan, boil vinegar and sugar together. Then add the oil, lemon juice, and spices and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro and tomato. Drizzle over hot white chicken chili! 

Enjoy!