White Chicken Chili - Gourmet

By Thom7747

Mary Anne Swanstrom, The Huntsville Times
on February 24, 2008 at 12:00 AM, updated February 24, 2008 at 12:01 AM said: A bowl of chili is a wintertime hit that's usually red all over - red meat, red beans and red sauce.
White chicken chili can be a delicious alternative. Gourmet magazine's version got glowing reviews from readers who tried it, but that recipe holds lots of fat and calories.
It's not the chicken's fault. A pound of cooked chicken breast meat contains 736 calories and 16 fat grams, while a pound of cooked 80 percent lean ground beef has 1,216 calories and 80 grams of fat. And the navy beans in this chili are a calorie bargain that put plenty of protein and fiber into the pot.
But the white sauce is filled with half and half, flour, sour cream and an entire stick of butter. That combination of ingredients would cause many healthy eaters to leave Gourmet's chili out in the cold.
In fact, each cup of Gourmet's chili contains 553 calories and 31.3 fat grams. If you ate a 10-piece order of Wendy's fried chicken nuggets with barbecue sauce instead, you'd save 48 calories and 1.3 fat grams.
I wanted to try to slim down this soup, and I began by slashing the amount of butter, cutting 76 calories and 8.6 fat grams from each serving. Next, I added a little more chicken broth and less half and half, saving 56 calories and 4 fat grams per bowl. I also chose cheese made with 2 percent milk as well as light sour cream and reduced the amounts to lighten this chili up a little more.
I tossed in some fresh cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes to enhance the flavor without fat.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 4-ounce cans of diced green chiles
• 2 cups chicken broth (low-sodium, if desired)
• 2 16-ounce cans of navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 cups cooked and chopped chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup Mexican-blend cheese made with 2 percent milk, finely shredded

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1: Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until soft. Add green chilies, chicken broth, beans, garlic, chicken, hot sauce, cumin, oregano, cilantro, white pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes to combine flavors.

Step 2: Remove the stockpot from the heat; stir in light sour cream and half-and-half until smooth.

Step 3: Sprinkle one tablespoon of shredded cheese over each bowl just before serving.

Adapted from a Gourmet magazine recipe

Serve immediately.