Creamy, comforting White Chicken Chili with a veggie-loaded twist. Shredded chicken, white beans, riced cauliflower, zucchini, and green bell peppers all mingle in a rich, flavorful, creamy broth. Cook it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot…it’s a cozy + satisfying dinner that fits whatever your weeknight needs!

A white bowl of creamy white chicken chili topped with shredded cheese, tortilla chips. Some tortilla chips, cilantro, and a lime wedge sit on the counter next to the bowl.

The first fall leaf, the first cozy craving….

The second the air turns crisp and my morning coffee calls for a sweatshirt, my brain flips straight into soup-and-stew mode. Yeah, I live for soupy season, guys.

This Extra Veggie White Chicken Chili has been living in my head for well over a year. I’ve even made it on the fly a few times; it always came to mind whenever I was stirring a pot of my beloved Extra Veg Chicken Enchilada Soup or when I’m rolling up my very favorite Green Veggie Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas. I loved elements of both recipes so much that I wanted them tucked into one perfect, hearty, slightly spicy soup that could hold its own as a full dinner. (And trust me…between the chicken, veggies, and beans, this chili is a complete meal. You can’t convince me otherwise.)

We love topping big bowls of this chili with the crunch of tortilla chips (a great way to use up those last handfuls at the bottom of the bag), a sprinkle of shredded cheese (we’re as much a cheese family as we are a veggie family), and the creamy, fresh addition of diced avocado…because I always love to tuck a little more green into a meal when I can!

My best advice? Make a big pot. The leftovers only get better after a night in the fridge, and they’re a lifesaver on busy workdays. Even as a food blogger, I somehow forget to feed myself until the “hangries” hit…but having this chili waiting in the wings means lunch is ready to go in minutes, and I can get back to work without skipping a beat.

Let’s make this chili together. Just you and me….

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Onions, green pepper, zucchini, and cauliflower being stirred in a Dutch oven with a wooden spoon. The Dutch oven sits on a countertop.
Heat oil in a big pot, then add onion, green pepper, riced cauliflower, and zucchini. Cook until they start to soften (about 8 minutes).
Raw chicken thighs nestled on top of cooked vegetables in a Dutch oven. Spices are being sprinkled on top of the ingredients in the pot from a small bowl. A small bowl of salt sits next to the Dutch oven on the counter.
To the pot, add in the chicken, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Let it all sizzle together for a minute.
A wooden spoon sits in a Dutch oven filled with chicken, broth, cooked veggies, and topped with green chilis. A glass measuring cup filled with salsa verde sits on a countertop next to the Dutch oven.
Add the green chilis, salsa verde, and broth. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temp of internal temp of 165℉ (about 15 minutes).
Cooked chicken being shredded by hand on a wooden cutting board using two forks. A few pieces of chicken sit in a small metal bowl on the wooden cutting board prior to being shredded.
Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred the chicken.
A wooden spoon stirring together cream cheese, shredded chicken, white beans, cilantro, and all other ingredients for white chicken chili in a Dutch oven sitting on a countertop.
Return shredded chicken to the pot. Mix in the beans, cream cheese, and cilantro until the soup turns creamy.
A ladle lifts a scoop of finished creamy white chicken chili from the Dutch oven. The pot sits on a countertop and is surrounded by a few tortilla chips, half of an avocado with the pit, and a whole lime.
Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Salt to taste, give a squeeze of lime over each portion and garnish with cilantro or your fave toppings.

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5 from 16 votes

Extra Veggie White Chicken Chili

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Cuisine: American, tex mex
Course: Main Course, Soup
Author: Taesha Butler
Creamy, comforting White Chicken Chili with a veggie-loaded twist. Shredded chicken, white beans, riced cauliflower, zucchini, and green bell peppers all mingle in a rich, flavorful, creamy base. Cook it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot…its a cozy + satisfying dinner that fits whatever your weeknight needs!
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1½ cups (240 g) frozen riced cauliflower
  • 1 medium zucchini, grated
  • 1½ pounds (680.39 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1½ teaspoons cumin
  • 4 ounces canned mild green chilis
  • 1 cup (242 g) mild green salsa verde
  • 3 cups (709.76 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 30 ounces (425.24 g) canned white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, drained and rinsed
  • 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cut into pieces
  • ¼ cup (4 g) chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 1 (1) lime, cut into wedges (optional)
  • Toppings: sliced avocado, tortilla chips, chopped fresh cilantro, grated cheese

Instructions
 

Stovetop instructions

  •  Add oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, pepper, cauliflower, and zucchini until softened, about 8 minutes.
  • Nestle the chicken into the bottom of the pot then sprinkle with the salt and spices (garlic powder, onion powder, cumin). Stir to coat the chicken and cook for a minute to lightly toast the spices.
  • Add the mild chilies, salsa verde, and chicken broth to the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and has an internal temp of 165℉, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken, then add back to the pot.
  • Stir in the white beans, cream cheese and cilantro. Continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the soup. Simmer for 5-7 minutes to let the beans soak up some of the flavor.
  • Taste the soup and add more salt as needed. Portion out the soup and squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion. Garnish with extra cilantro and whatever toppings you like!

Slow cooker instructions

  • Add the oil, onion, pepper, cauliflower rice and zucchini to your slow cooker. Nestle the chicken into the veggies and then sprinkle with the salt and spices. Stir to coat the chicken.
  • Add the can of chilis, salsa verde, and chicken broth to the pot. Cover, then cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours; or until the chicken thighs have an internal temp of 165℉ and can be easily shredded. Every slow cooker cooks a bit differently, so start checking your chicken early to avoid overcooking it.
  • Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken, then add back to the slow cooker. Stir in the white beans, cream cheese, and cilantro. Continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the soup.
  • Portion out the soup and squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion. Garnish with extra cilantro and whatever toppings you like!

Instant Pot Instructions

  • Turn your Instant Pot's sauté function and add the oil to the pot. Once hot, add the onion, pepper, cauliflower and grated zucchini and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Nestle the chicken into the bottom of the pot then sprinkle with the salt and spices. Stir to coat the chicken and cook for a minute to lightly toast the spices.
  • Turn off the saute function. Add the can of chilis, salsa verde, and chicken broth to the pot and stir everything together.
  • Place the lid on your Instant Pot. Press the manual/pressure cook button and set the timer to 10 minutes. When the timer is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before manually releasing the rest.
  • Once the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken, then add back to the pot.
  • Stir in the white beans, cream cheese, and cilantro. Continue to stir until the cream cheese has melted into the hot soup. Portion out the soup and squeeze a wedge of lime over each portion. Garnish with extra cilantro and whatever toppings you like!

Notes

Store cooled leftover in an air-tight container in your fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving: 1.25cups, Calories: 323kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 867mg, Potassium: 1100mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 440IU, Vitamin C: 40mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.