This Italian-Style Chicken and White Bean Soup is warming and satisfying. A flavour-filled broth contains shredded chicken breast, aromatic herbs and nourishing vegetables along with the additional protein of cannellini beans. To add a creaminess to the soup (without adding cream) we puree one of the cans of beans. It is cosy, comforting and certain to become a family favourite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- It is an easily made recipe, one that will suit cooks of all skill levels.
- The ingredients can easily be customised to suit your taste; alter the vegetables for those you prefer or have on hand.
- This is a complete meal, made in one pot, so there is less washing up and that’s always good!
- On days when time is short, this Chicken and White Bean Soup means that you can still enjoy a nourishing, flavoursome meal.
- It is perfect for meal prep: put a container in the freezer, it will be very welcome at the end of a busy day.
Recipe Inspiration: this soup, Zuppa di Pollo e Fagioli, is a family favourite, one that my father made, and one we enjoyed on many cold nights as we sat by a comforting fire. It is one of my favourite memories and a soup that still brings me comfort.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Extra virgin olive oil: this is the least processed olive oil, being from the first pressing of the olives. It provides great flavour. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Brown/yellow onion: this is an all-rounder onion. You can use white or red onion if you prefer.
- Carrot and celery: we begin the soup by sautéing the onion, carrot and celery. This is the “soffritto”. Gently cooking this trio of veg extracts their flavour. Many Italian recipes begin this way.
- Garlic: for the best flavour we use fresh garlic.
- Parmesan rind: a strip of the rind adds great savoury flavour to the broth.
- Dried red chilli pepper flakes: the chilli flakes add spice. Add according to your taste.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme: these two popular Mediterranean herbs add great flavour to the soup.
- Chicken stock: use homemade stock or a good quality commercial stock. As stock is the basis for the soup it is essential that it has good flavour.
- Skinless/boneless chicken breast: such a versatile ingredient, you will find so many ways to use them. My preference is for free-range chicken.
- Canned cannellini beans: I recommend always keeping some on hand; they are a versatile ingredient, able to be used in many ways such as our Tuscan Stewed Beans.
- Baby spinach: adds colour and flavour and a great way to enjoy a green veg.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper: the difference between a flavour-filled soup and a boring one is often the seasoning. Before serving the soup, check that the seasoning is to your taste.
Variations:
Chicken: leftover roast chicken or poached chicken can be substituted.
Herbs: if you prefer, you could use dried oregano, fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, or add some sliced fresh basil for serving.
Beans: you could use another white bean, such as navy beans or great Northern beans, or even chickpeas.
Baby spinach: kale would be a good substitute.
How To Make Chicken and White Bean Soup:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Blend the beans:
Add one drained tin of cannellini beans to a small food processor along with ½ cup of vegetable stock. Blend until smooth.
2 – Sauté your vegetables:
Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and over medium heat, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
3 – Start the soup base:
To the vegetables, add the stock, chicken breast, Parmesan rind and herbs.
4 – Cook the chicken:
Over low heat, with the lid on, gently bring to a simmer. Simmer until the chicken is cooked.
5 – Shred the chicken:
Using two forks, shred the chicken.
6 – Finish the soup:
Add the tin of drained beans and the blended beans to the soup and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken and spinach to the pot.
Check that the vegetables are cooked to your liking, and season to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls, discarding the Parmesan rind. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Hint: the soup will thicken on standing, so additional stock may be needed if you are making it in advance.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
You certainly can. In fact, making it a day ahead enables the ingredients to amalgamate and the flavours to develop.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It may thicken a little on standing. If necessary, thin with a little water.
Yes, it freezes very well. Once it has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Be sure to label and date the container as frozen objects can be difficult to identify. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave; it may be necessary to add some water to thin it out.
Top Tip:
For a rich flavoured soup, you need to begin with a good stock, either homemade or store bought.
Also, you get the best result by using good quality ingredients. Ensure that your vegetables are fresh and in good condition.
Serving Suggestions:
Warm and comforting, this delicious Chicken and White Bean Soup is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Some ideas for serving it are:
- Enjoy it for lunch.
- For a complete meal for dinner, it needs no more than bread, such as our easy No-Knead Spelt Loaf.
- It travels well, so it is ideal to take to a potluck.
- Gift some to a friend or family member; it will be very well received.
I am certain that you will enjoy this Chicken and White Bean Soup. Made in just one pot, it will be a great addition to your soup repertoire. Please let me know in the comments below if you give it a try.
Alex xx
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Italian-Style Chicken and White Bean Soup
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil See Note 1
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion – peeled and finely diced
- 1 large carrot – washed, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery – finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- 800 g (28 oz) tinned cannellini beans – rinsed and drained – divided – I use 2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins
- 1 piece Parmesan rind – about 7 ½ cm/3 inches See Note 2
- 4 ½ cups (1.125 litres) chicken stock – divided See Note 3
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary – finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme – finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli pepper flakes
- 2 skinless/boneless chicken breasts – approx. 400 g (14 oz total weight)
- 2 cups baby spinach – firmly packed
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 4
To Serve:
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
- extra virgin olive oil – a drizzle
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and over medium heat, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- To the vegetables, add four cups of stock, the chicken breast, Parmesan rind and herbs. Make sure the chicken breasts are submerged with the liquid.
- Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and registers 74 C (165 F) on a thermometer. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside on a chopping board to rest for 5 minutes before shredding with two forks. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add one drained tin of the cannellini beans to a small food processor or blender, along with a ½ cup of vegetable stock. Blend until smooth.
- Add the tin of drained beans and the blended beans to the soup and bring back to a simmer.Return the shredded chicken to the pot, along with the baby spinach.
- Check that the vegetables are cooked to your liking, and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a little extra stock. Ladle the soup into bowls, discarding the Parmesan rind. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Parmesan Rind: a small piece of leftover Parmesan rind softens as the soup cooks and adds great flavour.
- Stock: you could also use vegetable stock.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add more red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
- Storage and reheating: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The soup will thicken while standing, so just add some more stock or water.
- Freezing: allow to cool completely before storing the soup in a freezer safe container for up to three months.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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