White Chili

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3 onions, peeled and sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 4 oz can, whole green chilies, chopped (these can be mild or hot…your choice)

2 Yukon gold potatoes, quartered and thinly sliced

3 cups vegetable stock or water

3 14 oz cans white beans, drained

½ cups corn

1 cup salsa verde

3 tablespoons rice flour or ¼ cup corn meal (see note below)

Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

salt and pepper

  1. Heat a stockpot over a medium heat. When it’s heated, add the olive oil, and onions. Sauté for 10-45 minutes. If you sauté for 10 minutes, the onions will be slightly browned and a bit crunchy. If you sauté for up to 45 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low. The onions will become softer, and turn a golden color. Stir occasionally.
  2. After the onions are cooked, add the garlic until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and chili powder. In 10-30 seconds, the now-seasoned onions will become fragrant and darkened. Sauté for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
  3. Add the chilies, sliced potatoes, and vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer.
  4. After 5 minutes, add the beans and return to a simmer.
  5. Add the corn and salsa verde, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through
  6. Add the rice flour or corn meal (see note below) to thicken the chili, and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until chili is thickened to your liking.
  7. Adjust the seasoning to your taste, with salt, pepper, more cumin, chili powder, or Tabasco
  8. Serve with sour cream, and the shredded cheese of your choice

Makes 6-8 servings

NOTE: For rice flour or corn meal, to thicken the chili:

  • Rice flour. Whisk the rice flour (or other similar starch, such as wheat flour, potato starch, etc.) with ½ cup of water. Make sure there are not lumps of the flour in the mixture before you add it to the chili
  • Corn meal. Place a small skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the corn meal to the cold skillet, and heat/toast the corn meal. Frequently stir it, to keep it from burning. All at once, it will start to turn a golden brown, then, perhaps, start to smoke a bit. Remove it from the heat immediately, and add it to the chili mixture. It may sizzle once it meets the chili