This is a delicious and hearty soup that will warm your soul!  You are breaking all the cardinal rules if you don’t make the cheddar biscuits that accompany this soup, I’m serious!  Now this soup makes about 10-12 servings.  Don’t be shy, make the whole recipe.  It freezes amazingly well!  Before freezing, make sure you do not add the sour cream….sour cream does not freeze well at all.  Just add it after you thaw it and are warming it up on the stovetop!  This can be made one day ahead, making it the perfect dish when entertaining for a casual dinner.

I always shred my own cheese, it melts so much better.  You guessed it on the chicken, it is a roasted market chicken!  This soup comes together very quickly!!

Sauté the chopped onions in the butter….my mouth is watering right now!

After about four or five minutes of sautéing your onions, add the flour, chili powder, cumin, salt and white pepper.  Let it cook for about 4 minutes or so.  This will also help release all the oils from the seasonings for a deeper flavor.  Please stir often!

Add the chicken broth (while whisking…I just didn’t have enough hands here)….

And then the half and half and whole milk.  Bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a low simmer for about fifteen minutes.  This is where the soup will start to thicken.  Stir often.

Now add the drained beans, green chilies, chicken and shredded cheese.  Stir.  If you love spice, then add a tablespoon or so of hot sauce, purely optional!   When the cheese has melted then add in the sour cream, but before adding the sour cream, be sure to….

temper your sour cream.  What does this mean?  It just means you are warming up the sour cream before putting it into the pot of hot soup so it doesn’t curdle.  We don’t want it to curdle.  So put a little of the hot soup in, mix it around, and the sour cream will be ready to go into your soup!  Now get a big bowl and enjoy! (don’t forget to make the cheddar biscuits…..)