Name: Tuscan White Bean Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon oil (canola, avocado); 1 small onion; 4 celery stalks; 2 large carrots; 1 can drained Cannellini beans; 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice; 3 cups water; 1 heaping teaspooon Better Than Bouillon; 1 pound chicken tenderloins (thighs or breasts work great, too!); 2 cups chopped kale, Swiss chard, or spinach; 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

Description

A rich tomato broth with white beans, chicken, and kale makes this Tuscan White Bean Soup a savory, nourishing meal with minimal prep. I prefer to cook it in my favorite Dutch oven on the stovetop, but it can easily be adapted to a slow-cooker.

Ingredients

Scale

1 Tablespoon oil (canola, avocado)

1 small onion

4 celery stalks

2 large carrots

1 can drained Cannellini beans

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice

3 cups water

1 heaping teaspooon Better Than Bouillon

1 pound chicken tenderloins (thighs or breasts work great, too!)

2 cups chopped kale, Swiss chard, or spinach

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

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Instructions

1. Dice 1 small onion and chop 4 celery stalks and 2 large carrots into ½ inch pieces.

2. Sauté them in a heavy bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat in a little avocado or canola oil until they begin to brown and caramelize (5 minutes).

3. Add canned tomatoes, drained beans, chicken and herbs to the pot.

4. Add heaping teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon (chicken or vegetable flavor) to 3 cups of water and pour into pot.

5. Put the lid on the pot and simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to two hours.

6. Remove the chicken to a plate and use two forks to shred it. Return it to the pot.

7. Add the kale for the last 15 minutes of cooking to retain the vibrant green color.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

To prepare this Tuscan White Bean Soup in a slow cooker, add all the ingredients except for the kale in the order above. Cook on high for 6-8 hours. Add the kale 15 minutes before serving.
If you don’t have Cannellini beans on hand, you can substitute Great Northern beans, Navy beans, or Lima beans.
Fire-roasted tomatoes are my preference for this Tuscan White Bean Soup, but plain diced tomatoes, diced with chiles, or canned Roma tomatoes work well. If you use Roma, they will cook down, but chop them up a bit before adding them.
If you don’t have broth or Better Than Bouillon, add an extra ½ teaspoon of salt or garlic salt to the water.
Vegetarian option: This soup is also delicious without the chicken. The beans provide plenty of protein for a hearty meal.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: soups