BEST White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken

4.90 from 74 votes

BEST White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken

With the added chicken, this is white bean and kale soup is one comforting and satisfying pot to feed a hungry crowd! And you'll love the flavors from onions, garlic, warm spices, and a hint of Parmesan. A splash of lemon juice adds just enough zing and rounds out the flavor beautifully!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Author: Suzy Karadsheh

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless chicken cut into small bites
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 medium yellow onions chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes more for later
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dry rosemary
2 15- oz cans white beans drained and rinsed, smash contents of 1 can for texture
8 cups low-sodium broth chicken or vegetable broth will work here
8 oz kale leaves cut into 1/2 inch strips (no thick stems)
2 inch piece Parmesan cheese rind
1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add the chicken. Cook, tossing regularly until browned (about 5 to 7 minutes). Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Transfer the chicken to a side plate for now.
In the same pot, add onions and saute for about 4 minutes over medium heat, tossing regularly until softened (if needed, add a little more extra virgin olive oil.) Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, and rosemary. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring regularly, for 30 seconds to 1 minute over medium heat (watch to make sure the garlic does not burn.)
Return the chicken to the pot, add the white beans (both the whole and smashed beans), broth, kale, and cheese rind.
Raise the heat and bring to a boil for 5 minutes (make sure to skim any foam that bubbles up on top.) Turn the heat to low. Partially cover the pot, leaving a small opening for the soup to breath. Cook for 25 minutes or until everything is cooked through and the kale softens to your liking.
Remove the cheese rind. Test and adjust seasonings, adding more of any of the spices used to your liking.
Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to serving bowls and add a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Notes

Slow Cooker Instructions: follow instructions for browning the chicken (step 1), then transfer to your crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the kale, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Be sure to stir the kale in about 45 minutes or so before soup is done cooking.
Tip for using dry beans instead of canned beans in this recipe: If you have some dry white beans that you'd like to use instead, you will need just over 1 cup of dry beans. Start with soaking them in plenty of water overnight. Drain and rinse well with cold water. To cook the beans before using in this recipe, place them in a large pot and cover with water by about 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that bubbles up to the top. Turn heat down and let simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours or until beans are soft. Use cooked beans in this recipe by following instructions above. (If you're making your white bean soup in the crockpot, it's still a good idea to soak the dry beans overnight, but you can through them in the crockpot from there with the rest of the ingredient and let cook until the beans are fully tender.)
Visit Our Onlin e Shop to browse our collection of extra virgin olive oils and spices used in this recipe including coriander, cumin, and rosemary.

Nutrition

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