I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!
I’ll confess that I don’t usually struggle with what to do with the turkey leftovers. There is really only one GREAT way to use them: smothered in mustard and sandwiched in a homemade roll. Leftover turkey sandwiches are heavenly and I usually can’t speak for at least two days after the big meal because my mouth is stuffed with them.
However, I had an inordinate amount of turkey leftover this year and used some of the tender, juicy morsels in this soup. It is one of my favorite, favorite soups of all time and I usually make it with chicken, although it was fantastic with the turkey tonight!
Another fabulous recipe from my Aunt Marilyn, this white bean chili is a snap to throw together (we are talking less than 30 minutes, start to finish), is packed with flavor, and the unique addition of the mozzarella at the end coats the beans and chicken (or turkey) with a creamy layer of cheese. Love this soup. (And it has been known to win a chili cook-off or two, just in case you are wondering.)
White Bean Chicken (or Turkey) Chili
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked, diced chicken (or turkey)
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup salsa (I use Pace Chunky Medium)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the mozzarella cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup comes to a simmer. Add the mozzarella cheese one handful at a time, stirring to let each addition melt before adding the next. Stir to combine and make sure all the cheese has melted and serve.
Recipe Source: adapted from Aunt Marilyn
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello! First of all, thank you so much for posting all these delicious recipes. I come here weekly for my meal planning! You are fabulous.
Second, I am going to make this chili this week, but I already have two 14.5 ounce cans of cannellini beans on hand, not great northern. Does it really make a big difference, or am I okay to make it with what I have?
Thanks so much~
Heather
Also, I forgot one other question. I have a lot of MILD salsa on hand, but I have a couple of recipes that I want to make that call for MEDIUM salsa. Is it okay to just use the mild salsa and then throw in 1 or 1/2 of a jalapeno to give it the extra kick you’d get with medium salsa? Thanks!
Help! I just made your wheat/oatmeal cookies and it was a d i s a s t e r …and i’m made quite a few recipes of years and am a cookie woman…they are flater than flat than flat can be. like unedible. any ideas? my kids were helping me and i was holding a baby but i’ve re-read the recipe over and over again …i’m bummed.
mccoy218@gmail.com
Another hit.
Does Aunt Marilyn know how much we all love her?
Yum, yum.
Thanks again for sharing!
P.S. For any others who hate touching chicken as much as I do, one large can of chicken (we prefer Tyson’s white, although you can buy the Costco or Sam’s Club brands in bulk, which are also good) works great in this recipe!
Heather and Devine Irvine – it’s funny you asked about the cannellini beans because that’s what this recipe originally called for but I only ever have great northern beans so that is what I use – so in answer to your question, yes, the cannellini beans would work great! Also on the mild salsa question, you may think the mild salsa gives it enough flavor but if you like things a bit spicier than by all means use the mild salsa and add a jalapeno. That sounds delicious, actually!
Shauntel – I always tell my Aunt Marilyn how much commenters and readers compliment her so I’ll definitely pass along your praise. I’d be lost without her recipes, that’s for sure! Thanks for the tip on the chicken and I’m so glad you liked this; thanks for letting me know!
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious!!! the only thing I did differently was I threw in a 4 oz. can of diced green chilies when the onion was cooking, just because I had it in the pantry!
we served the bowls topped with crunched up tortilla chips, and diced avocado. big green salad on the side with ‘margarita’ dressing (fresh lime juice/cumin/cilantro/honey/EVOO)
thanks for all your great recipes! I made Zephyr pancakes for dinner last week!
beans, meat, and spice make for a wonderful bowl of chili no matter what you use. great idea for leftovers!
oh yummy! this looks like a wonderful way to use up all that turkey! i hope you had a great thanksgiving!
Looks delicious. If I hadn’t used up all my leftover turkey in my empanadas, I’d have tried it. Next time.
This sounds like such a fabulous way to use up that extra bit of turkey. I agree with you that I love turkey sandwiched between homemade rolls. Amazingly this year that’s about as far as the turkey stretched so I’ll have to use chicken for this recipe. I bet your Aunt Marilyn is so flattered by all of her recipes that are on your site and all the praise
!
I never seem to have turkey leftover…everyone picks and picks at them throughout the day!
But this soup does sound like a wonderful use for them
Thanks so much for all the yummy Thanksgiving recipes. I made your stuffing (no stovetop this year) and everyone loved it! I used artisan Labrea bread. It was so good! I also made pumpkin roll… and pumpkin bars! I would be lost without all your recipes! I am spreading the word of how great you are!!!
This was delicious and almost too simple! Our turkey was smoked which added some great flavor to this chili. Thanks for the recipe!
I making this for dinner. Thank you! I am turkey sandwiched out. Cheers!
Melanie C. – way to make this a gourmet meal (your margarita salad dressing sounds awesome). I’m so glad you liked the soup!
Candace – thanks for your comment! I’m glad that the recipes you’ve tried have worked out for you. Thanks so much for letting me know.
Stephanie – I agree, this soup is really, really simple. I bet it was divine with smoked turkey – yum!
just made it and yummy!! added diced celery and used my homemade salsa from this summer… hubby loved it:) Ate it with some homemade Lion House bread… bring on the snow!!
I just tried this on Monday night and it was fantastic!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Shantai – oh, I bet this was delicious with homemade salsa and celery. Way to go on all the homemade (salsa, bread!). Awesome.
Jessie – thanks for letting me know you liked this! I’m glad it was fantastic for you.
I made this and my husband raved! I have a few other white chili recipes, but he liked this better than the others, and it’s SO much simpler! Definitely a keeper!
Catherine – so glad you and your husband liked this! Thanks so much for letting me know.
I want to try this recipe. Have made chili over & over the past few years who love it but I cant eat it because it gives me bad heartburn. let me also say im so glad you dont say “stoup” arg! LOL
Hey Melanie!
just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE this chili! it really is yummy, and comes together so fast. I made it after Thanksgiving using leftover turkey, and I made it last night using chicken breast.
one thing I do is I add a can of Ro-tel to it, just for a little spice, and I serve the bowls topped with diced tomato and avocado.
SO delicious! thanks for all the great recipes!!
Melanie C. – this is one of our favorite soups, too…and I love your additions. Yum!
Great chili, it had a rich flavor and a nice texture! Hope to try the chicken bread braid soon!
Hi Pat – glad you liked this!
I made this chili again except I used leftover ham from Easter instead of Turkey from Thanksgiving – still a divine soup! You just have to cut down on the celery salt (to 1/4 tsp) since the ham contributes gobs of sodium. This recipe is a great base for any variation you want to try. Thanks!
Stephanie – oh, what a great idea to use ham! I haven’t ever tried that and love the suggestion. Thank you!
Loved the chili! So Easy and fast. Thank you for the great recipe. It was hard to dump in those beans undrained…I just like draining and rinsing them first. Have you ever made this and drained the beans? Does it make that much of a difference?
Dana – it’s funny you posted this comment because I just made this recipe last week and since I mostly have it memorized, I rinsed and drained the beans, forgetting that this recipe omits that step. You know what? It tasted great and obviously wasn’t a huge difference because I just barely remembered I made that change after seeing your comment. My point is that you could easily rinse and drain the beans and have a great result. The point in not draining them is to thicken the broth a bit but I think from now on, I’ll probably rinse and drain them, too. I’m off to edit the recipe.
ok so this white bean soup sounds yummy too! I usually make the creamy white chili. Im afraid a little to try this one because the creamy white chili is usually my go to white bean soup recipe.. i kinda feel like Im cheating on it! :/
my husband gave this an a+ which is his highest compliment. He kept talking about it while he was eating it too. So he thanks you. I used mexican blend reduced fat cheese because it was all I had and it came out great. I will try it the proper way next time. I ate leftovers today and I have to say I think I liked it more today then yesterday……The flavors had a chance to meld more. I dont think it has replaced the creamy chicken chili recipe you posted which is my all time favorite but this is a very good variation
I made this tonight and while my family seemed to really enjoy it, I had issues with the cheese. Maybe I used the wrong kind of mozz. (not a high enough fat content) but the cheese was super gummy and the chicken stuck together and was chewy w/ all of the cheese on it. I added the cheese slowly, a tbsp at a time but it didn’t cooperate w/ me at all. I loved the flavors of everything and would love to make it again. Do you have any suggestions to help me fix the cheese issues I had?
Thanks Mel. And once again, I love your recipes. Your recipe index is now my go-to for family meals.
Hi Mandi – I’m not sure why you had issues with the cheese – that’s a bummer! The cheese definitely coats the chicken in a creamy layer but when I make it, the chicken doesn’t get really chewy because of it – at least that I can recall, since it has been a month or so since I made this last. Perhaps try cutting the cheese amount in half and see how that goes. Usually when I make it, I throw it all in and stir it around until it is all combined. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
I made this tonight because I knew it would come together quickly. It tasted great! I subbed with ingredients I had on hand: Monterrey Jack for the mozzarella and cannellini beans and small white beans for the Great Northerns. The bean substitutions worked out perfectly, as the small beans broke apart and made the chili thick, while the cannellinis kept their shape and texture. Served with corn muffins, it was a nice comfort meal for a rainy night. Thanks for sharing!
I made this tonight for my family and my one year old daughter loved it! It was a little salty, and I did not add any extra salt to it. Should I cut down the celery salt next time?
Hi Erin – either that or use a low-sodium chicken broth…that could be the culprit of saltiness.
Was SO GOOD- family raved- even picky kids. Only had mild salsa- so added a jalapeno as recomended above- was fab and not too hot. Mel- you are rocking our dinner table lately- high 5′s all around. Made with best corn bread/honey butter which was gorgeous.
I made this last night and it was hit! It tasted so good and the best part was it was so easy to fix. I substituted the mozzarella cheese for Monterey jack because that’s what I had and it did fine. Great recipes and I can’t wait to try more!