Fast Chicken Chili

My Carolina Kitchen

2 tablespoons canola oil, separated

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

Kosher salt

½ pound lean ground pork

½ cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

¾ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ - ½ teaspoon ground red pepper (depending on how hot you like it)

2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup water

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained

1 (4 ounce) can chopped Hatch chilies, undrained

3 cups low sodium, low fat chicken broth

¼ cup cilantro leaves

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and add to pan and sauté 4 minutes, then remove from the pan and wipe the pan clean. Reheat pan over medium-high heat, add remaining tablespoon oil and add the pork, season with salt and sauté the pork until it browns. Add chicken back to pan along with the onion, garlic, cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano and ground red pepper and sauté about 3 minutes to incorporate the onion and spices. Add 1 can of cannellini beans, 1 can dark kidney beans, water, 1 can chilies, and chicken broth & bring to a boil.

Put the the remaining can of cannellini beans in a bowl along with the remaining can of green chilies. Mash well until the mixture almost resembles a paste. Add to soup, and then simmer 5 minutes. The chili should now be nice and thick. If it’s too thick, add a little more water.

Serve with cilantro and lime wedges. The fresh lime adds a nice fresh flavor to the chili. Excellent with Southern cornbread alongside.

The chili can be made in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat gently and add cilantro at the last minute.

Adapted from Cooking Light, serves 6 (1 cup servings)