White Bean and Chicken Chili

Servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and diced 1/2 inch pieces
kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery sliced
1 large or 2 small jalapeño ribs and seeds removed and diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon coriander
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can white hominy drained and rinsed
Serve with:
fresh lime wedges
fresh cilantro
avocado cubes
sour cream
your favorite hot sauce I love Tabasco

In a large heavy pot, add the oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside on a dish.
Add the onion, celery and jalapeño to the pot. Cook until the onion softens then add the garlic, bay leaf, cumin, oregano,cayenne and coriander. Give it all a stir for about 30 seconds or so, then add back the chicken pieces along with the chicken broth, cannellini beans and hominy. Bring to a light simmer and cook over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes.
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime, some avocado cubes, fresh cilantro leaves and a dollop of sour cream.

You can use chicken breast if you'd rather, but I find the darker thigh meat to be so much more tender.

Look for canned hominy in the same section as the canned beans. If you have trouble finding it, try using white corn kernels instead.