To be frank, I'm not 100% certain where this dish of tender chicken and white beans bound in a creamy, fresh green-chili sauce topped with shredded cheese comes from. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the recipe actually originated on the back of a wrapper from a can chopped green chilies. But our version is better than that. Much, much better. Tender, creamy, spicy, and bright, this is the stuff even a dyed-in-the-wool chile con carne traditionalist will dip their finger into when they think nobody is watching.

Why this recipe works:

Roasting the chilies until blackened then using the skin to flavor the broth base for the soup lends deep, rich smoky flavors to the final dish.

Soaking beans in salted water helps keep them tender as they cook.

Chicken is poached just until cooked through before being shredded and stirred back into the soup to keep it moist.

A healthy handful of shredded cheese enriches the stew.

Note: This recipe can be made with canned beans in place of soaked. Use 4 (15 ounce) cans of drained, rinsed cannelini beans. Start from step 2 and reduce simmering time in step 4 to 30 minutes.