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White Bean Soup with Chicken

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This white bean soup with chicken, basil, and lemon is a healthy and delicious dinner recipe. It's hearty, filling, and full of flavor.

white bean soup in a large pot with a ladle

Why You’ll Love this White Bean Soup with Chicken

This soup is really hearty and filling because it's chock full of beans and veggies. It's got layers of flavor from the spices and chicken broth - the foundations for a tasty soup recipe.

This can be easily made without the chicken, but it does add good protein and makes the soup substantial enough to serve it for dinner.


Ingredients You'll Need to Make this Recipe

You only need a few ingredients to make this white bean soup with chicken.

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup diced shallots (about two large shallots)
  • 1 cup diced carrots (I used baby carrots)
  • 1 cup diced celery 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup roughly chopped basil
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • juice of one lemon
white bean soup ingredients

How to Make this Recipe

  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. 
  2. Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, paprika, oregano, and pepper in a bowl. Using your hands, press the spices into the chicken. 
  3. Add one tablespoon olive oil to the pot and let heat. 
  4. Then add the chicken to the pot and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. 
  5. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Then add the shallots. Stir to coat in oil and let cook for three minutes. 
  6. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  7. Deglaze the pot with a small amount of the chicken stock. Then add the rest of the stock and beans. 
  8. Nestle the chicken in the beans till it’s fully covered. Bring the soup to a low boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. 
  9. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes and check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer (temp should read 165 F). Cook till the chicken is done. 
  10. Remove the chicken and shred. Add it back to the soup. 
  11. Add the basil, spinach, lemon juice, and remaining salt. Stir to combine and remove when the spinach is wilted. 
  12. Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. 

white bean soup with chicken in a bowl with a silver spoon

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Tips for this Recipe

  • You can easily make this recipe vegetarian if you'd like - by swapping the chicken broth for vegetable and leaving out the chicken.
  • If you don't have shallots, use half a yellow onion.
  • You can use other fresh herbs in this recipe - if you have fresh oregano or chives, they would be a great addition.
  • Serve this soup with some crusty bread if you're feeling hungry! It's a delicious dipping soup.

Let us know if you make this white bean soup recipe and what you think of it!

Yield: 4 large servings

White Bean Soup with Chicken

White Bean Soup with Chicken

This white bean soup with chicken is a healthy, hearty recipe that's full of flavor.

Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup diced shallots (about two large shallots)
  • 1 cup diced carrots (I used baby carrots)
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup roughly chopped basil
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • juice of one lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. 
  2. Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, paprika, oregano, and pepper in a bowl. Using your hands, press the spices into the chicken. 
  3. Add one tablespoon olive oil to the pot and let heat. 
  4. Then add the chicken to the pot and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. 
  5. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Then add the shallots. Stir to coat in oil and let cook for three minutes. 
  6. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  7. Deglaze the pot with a small amount of the chicken stock. Then add the rest of the stock and beans. 
  8. Nestle the chicken in the beans till it’s fully covered. Bring the soup to a low boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. 
  9. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes and check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer (temp should read 165 F). Cook till the chicken is done. 
  10. Remove the chicken and shred. Add it back to the soup. 
  11. Add the basil, spinach, lemon juice, and remaining salt. Stir to combine and remove when the spinach is wilted. 
  12. Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 431Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 2220mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 8gSugar: 7gProtein: 49g

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