White Bean and Chicken Soup

White bean and chicken soup is the nourishing cold-weather dinner we’re all craving right now! This soup is full of colorful vegetables, lean protein and fresh herbaceous flavors.

Well I can’t think of a better “first recipe” of the new year to publish here than an ultra cozy and nourishing soup, can you? This is basically my ideal cold-weather dinner because it’s full of colorful vegetables, lean protein and fresh herbaceous flavor that makes for a great vehicle for warm, fresh, buttery bread.

After the holidays I tend to go for comforting meals that energize, instead of leaving us feeling tired and overfull. But I won’t sacrifice taste! The leftovers reheat wonderfully and we’re always so happy to have them for lunch the next day.

Here’s what you need to make this beautiful white bean and chicken soup:

Ingredients

• bacon (buy from the meat counter if you don’t want a whole pack)
• ground chicken breast
• shallots
• carrots
• celery
• vegetable broth
• kale (curly or dino works just fine)
• cannellini beans, for extra fiber
• lemon right at the end for a pop of brightness
• garlic, poultry seasoning, fresh thyme
• for serving: freshly grated parmesan cheese, pesto, crusty bread (optional, but not really)

Condensed Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Crisp up the bacon
2. Cook and season chicken, transfer to a bowl and place a plate on top to keep warm and retain juices
3. Cook vegetables/aromatics, add broth and simmer
4. Add beans and kale, let wilt
5. Add meat back to the pot, finish with lemon juice
6. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan and pesto

This technique for cooking ground chicken is a total game-changer and one I learned from NYT Cooking. It’s a great way to cut down on cook time (ground meats cook faster than whole) while still getting some great flavor retention with the seasonings.

There’s no grains like rice or pasta in this soup because I find that the leftovers don’t hold up as well. Plus I much prefer a big hunk of bread for dipping and this keeps the soup a bit more nutritionally balanced.

Helpful Tools and Equipment

There are a few tried must-have tools that I use on repeat for soups all winter long. While certainly not necessary, these make prep a little easier, faster and more enjoyable. I would repeat buy every item on this list!

• Chef’s knife. In my opinion this is the first thing you should invest in if you want to start cooking more at home. If soups are a favorite in your house, you’ll definitely want a high-quality sharp knife! This one is reasonably priced and has held up well for me for years.
• Cutting Board for all of your chopping needs. This one is big and sturdy. I recently switched to wood and am so glad I did!
• Food Prep Containers if you want to chop and organize ingredients ahead of time.
• Bench Scraper, which is helpful for picking up and transferring chopped vegetables to a soup pot.
• Dutch Oven for cooking just about anything but is especially well-suited for soups. There are many higher end versions out there, but I find this one to be such a great value for the price. Love it.
• Earlywood Wooden Spoons for crumbling meat, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pot and general stirring.

FAQs and Substitutions

I hope this becomes a repeat recipe in your house like it has in ours. Enjoy and stay warm!

More Healthyish Soups You’ll Love

• Peanut Chicken Sweet Potato & Spinach Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Stew
• Spring Vegetable Orzo Soup (vegetarian)

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Photos by Kaleigh McMordie

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