Feast your eyes on this comforting, healthy bean-free white chicken chili. It’s sure to be a new favorite!
I was first introduced to traditional white chicken chili through my aunt many years ago. It seemed like a new phenomenon at the time (at least in my small Michigan hometown it did) and I remember really enjoying it. It was full of chicken, green chiles, white beans and had a thicker, semi-creamy broth too. I was a fan.
Meanwhile, there seem to be numerous variations of white chicken chili out there. Some have corn, a variety of other peppers, heavy cream, cheese, etc. Regardless, they all appear to have these ingredients in common: chicken, green chiles, onion, spices, chicken broth and beans (generally white beans of some sort, but occasionally others).
Anyway, it seemed like a simple enough task to make this recipe paleo-friendly. It mainly came down to omitting the beans and skipping any corn, dairy-based milk or cheese. However, I still wanted a little bit of starchiness and creaminess, so as a replacement, I mixed in a mash of white sweet potato and coconut milk. And, I added little cubes of white sweet potato as well. It worked like a charm!
I hope you love this flavorful white chicken chili as much as I do! It’s definitely going to be a regular one in my rotation for a little while.
Interested in other healthy chili or soup recipes? Check out my chicken pot pie soup and chocolate spice turkey chili.
Cheers and enjoy!
This healthy bean-free white chicken chili is made with chicken, green chiles, spices and mashed white sweet potato for thickness and creaminess. It has tender cubes of white sweet potato in place of the beans too. No dairy, legumes, gluten or grains, but lots of flavor!
- 1-2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small-medium white sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 4 oz cans mild green chiles, or use hot if you want a spicier chili
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 5-6 cups good-quality chicken broth, plus extra, if needed
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium-large white sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, plus a little extra, if needed
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional
- Avocado slices
- Grain-free tortilla chips
- Jalapeno
- Lime wedges
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Place the cubes from the larger white sweet potato in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover and season with a bit of sea salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking for 12-15 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Then, pour in coconut milk and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher. If mixture seems really thick, add a little more coconut milk. Set aside for later.
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Add butter, ghee or avocado oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic, and saute a couple mintues. Then, add the cubes of the smaller sweet potato, as well as the cumin, chili powder and oregano. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. After about 30 seconds, add the 2 cans of diced green chilies and stir again. Then, add the chicken broth and lime juice.
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Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Continue to cook for 10-12 mintues or until sweet potato cubes are tender. Add shredded chicken to the pot during the last few minutes of simmer time.
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Reduce heat to low and mix in the mashed sweet potato mixture. Stir well, until fully dissolved into the chili. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
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Serve with fresh cilantro and other additional garnishes, if desired.
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