A Lighter Take On Chili

I don’t know about you, but I can’t even think about ice cream right now.

I know that seems like a blasphemous thing to say, but it’s so cold outside, and sometimes even inside, that I only want hot food. And not just a warm piece of chicken or hot vegetables. Rather something that warms from the inside out, and if I can cook it in one pot and also get leftovers, then sign me up.

This is a lighter take on chili, with chicken instead of beef and chickpeas and white beans instead of kidney, simply because of my preferences. This is fairly light on the chili kick, but you could always tweak that to what you prefer. You can use just about any white (or even other colored) bean you like, I made it with canellini. Serve it hot, over rice if you’d like or with a nice crusty hunk of bread.

Chicken and White Bean Chili – Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound ground chicken
2 medium onions
2 medium or 1 large pepper
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can tomato sauce
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
salt and pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Saute the chicken, breaking it up into pieces as you go, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. In the same pot, heat the onions, sauteing unti lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peppers, mushrooms and spices and saute, 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are browned. Add the chicken back in, then the tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, and stock. Bring to a boil then return to low heat, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.