It’s Friday, the Super Bowl is in two days, and all I want to do is eat this creamy white bean chili for every meal until I run out. Then I will make more. It’s that good.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the traditional red chili, but sometimes it’s fun to change things up. And this white bean chili is the perfect way to do just that!
[If you haven’t tried my Weekend Chili, you should definitely do that soon!]
This white bean chili is hearty and warming, with three kinds of beans, five kinds of peppers (six if you top it with sliced mini peppers), sweet white corn, cashew cream, and just the right amount of spice. And to make this chili even better, I topped mine off with avocado, fresh cilantro, and sliced peppers. It’s also great with crumbled tortilla chips!
This creamy white bean chili is a great meal if you’re trying to lose weight! The beans and cashew cream fill you up and keep you satisfied, thanks to the fiber and protein in the beans and the healthful fats in the cashews and avocado. If you are trying to lose weight, limit your avocado serving to just a couple of small slices and avoid tortilla chips altogether.
I like to keep leftover soup in the fridge so I always have something to heat up for lunch. Chili is even better as leftovers, and this recipe makes a lot. For lunch I just heat up a bowl, squeeze some fresh lime over it, and add the toppings I have in the fridge. And if I feel like a little more spice, I add a few drops of hot sauce. YUM!
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ large yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed, chopped
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 4 15-oz cans white beans, drained (I use 2 cans garbanzos, 1 can navy, 1 can cannellini)
- 1 4-oz can green chilies (I use mild)
- 1 T. + 1 t. chili powder
- 1 T. cumin
- 1 t. dried cilantro
- 1 t. paprika
- 1 cup sweet white corn
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 lime
- Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sliced peppers, crumbled tortilla chips
- Place cashews in a cup and cover with hot water. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot with ¼ inch of water, cook the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 5 mins.
- Add the broth, beans, chilies, and spices. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup is simmering, prep your toppings.
- Make your cashew cream by draining and transferring the soaked cashews to a blender. Add ½ cup warm water and blend on high until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender as necessary.
- After the chili has simmered a while, stir in the corn and cashew cream. Squeeze half of the lime over the soup and stir it in, saving the other half for serving.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and top with more lime juice, hot sauce, cilantro, avocado, slices of peppers, crumbled tortilla chips, etc.
This recipe is fairly mild. To boost the heat, add hot green chilies, leave the seeds in the jalapeño, or add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
I actually prefer chili as leftovers. The flavors have melded and just taste better. If you’re planning on making this white bean chili for the Super Bowl, I recommend making it the day before and reheating it right before serving. That makes it easier on you anyway, right?
My parents flew in from Nashville and stayed with Abby while my husband and I went to New Orleans for a long weekend business trip. Before we left, I made a big pot of this for them to eat while we were gone. They must have really liked it, because it was completely gone when we returned!
So I made a whole new pot yesterday. 🙂
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