White Bean and Chicken Soup
Step aside, chicken noodle — white bean and chicken soup is here! Try this quick and healthy soup that’s loaded with protein and fiber. You’ll also love my high protein chili, one pan salmon orzo, and skillet eggplant parm.
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This is my petition to officially retire noodles from chicken soup.
Hear me out — noodles get soggy. Noodles don’t offer too much nutritionally. And in terms of taste, texture, and re-heatability… I think we can do a lot better.
Enter: white bean and chicken soup. With all the cozy and nostalgic flavors of your favorite chicken noodle, this healthy soup is even more elevated and delicious. White beans add the perfect texture, and they keep well in the fridge.
And swapping noodles for white beans makes for a super filling soup with 33 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per bowl. You truly can’t ask for more!
Why you’ll love white bean and chicken soup
- 33 grams of protein
- 8 grams of fiber
- Super filling
- Really delicious
- Perfect for leftovers
- Ready in 30 minutes
Ingredients in chicken white bean soup
Olive oil: You can substitute butter or avocado oil. We just need a little bit of fat to get the soup going!
Carrots, celery, and onion: Aka, a simple mirepoix. These veggies help bring flavor to the base of the soup. You can use a white or yellow onion here.
Garlic: I’d highly recommend fresh garlic you chop yourself. But of course, use what you have! Always measure garlic with your heart.
Dried dill and parsley: I think these dried herbs pair perfectly with the savory chicken and bright lemon flavors in the rest of the soup. You can also finish your bowls with fresh herbs if desired.
Salt and pepper: Feel free to use less salt if you want a lower sodium soup.
White beans: Most white bean and chicken soup recipes suggest using white kidney beans, also known as cannellini beans. I love cannellini beans… but I also love navy beans! So for this recipe, I used a mix of both. Feel free to use all cannellini beans, all navy beans, or a 1:1 mix like I did.
Shredded rotisserie chicken: This recipe calls for several cups of shredded or small chopped rotisserie chicken, with the skin and bones removed. Rotisserie chicken is an awesome shortcut for this recipe because it cuts down on cooking time and the rotisserie chicken adds extra flavor, too. If you decide to use your own homemade shredded chicken instead, you might need extra seasoning in the white bean and chicken soup. Taste and adjust as needed.
Chicken broth: You can use any chicken broth or stock you like here. I prefer mixing Better Than Bouillon chicken base with water because I like the flavor.
Chopped kale: We’re adding some greens to this chicken white bean soup with stemmed and chopped kale! You could sub baby spinach but I prefer kale’s firm texture — it gets less soggy over time.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens up this delicious soup and makes it extra satisfying. You can use bottled lemon juice, but fresh tastes better.
More ingredients to add to the soup
- Extra chicken
- Fresh peas
- Leeks
- Baby spinach
- Seeded jalapeños
- Chopped zucchini
- Chopped broccoli or cauliflower
- Cauliflower rice
- Shredded cabbage or premade coleslaw mix
- Cooked lentils
- Fresh herbs
- Mushrooms
How to make chicken and white bean soup recipe
Add olive oil to your pot and heat to medium over the stove.
Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent.
Add garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn your garlic!
Add beans, chicken, and chicken broth to the pot and stir. Turn heat to high and cook until broth is lightly bubbling, about 5-10 minutes. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Once your vegetables are cooked, add kale and the juice of ½ lemon. Stir, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is softened to your liking. Taste and add more lemon if desired.
When you’re ready to eat, transfer your soup to bowls and top with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and/or extra lemon juice. Enjoy!
Dietary restrictions
Gluten-free: This soup is naturally gluten-free!
Dairy-free: Chicken and white bean soup is dairy-free as long as you don’t top with parmesan. Use lemon juice and fresh herbs for garnish instead.
High protein and high fiber: This soup is already high protein and fiber, making it a great choice for heart health, digestion, and fitness goals. Feel free to add extra chicken if desired.
Vegetarian: Swap chicken for an extra can of beans or lentils. If needed, add extra seasoning or fresh herbs since the rotisserie chicken is responsible for some of the flavor in this soup.
Lower sodium: Use a low sodium chicken broth and reduce added salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
Optional garnishes
Top your lemon chicken and white bean soup with these optional garnishes for some extra satisfaction:
- Fresh dill
- Fresh parsley
- Extra lemon juice
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Drizzle of olive oil
What to serve with white bean and chicken soup
This soup can be a well-rounded meal all on its own! It’s got lots of protein and fiber — so you don’t need to serve it with anything if you don’t want to.
For extra nutrition and satisfaction, serve your lemon chicken and white bean soup with:
- Whole wheat toast
- Whole grain crackers
- Biscuits
- Grilled cheese
- Turkey sandwich
- Apple slices
- Side salad
How to store white bean and chicken soup
Transfer soup to single serve food containers.
Let the soup cool on the counter until it’s room temperature. Then, close the containers and transfer to the fridge.
Your white bean and chicken soup will stay good in the fridge for up to three days.
It will stay good in the freezer for up to three months.
Re-heating instructions
Microwave: Transfer soup to a microwave-safe dish and cover with a paper towel. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, stirring occasionally until soup is heated through.
Stovetop: Transfer chicken white bean soup to a small pot. Adjust heat to medium and cover. Heat over the stove, stirring occasionally, for about 5-minutes or until soup is heated and lightly bubbling.
If you’re heating your soup from frozen, defrost it in the fridge overnight before heating and serving.
Top tip
Use a chopped rotisserie chicken instead of making your own shredded chicken breast. It makes this soup super quick and easy, and adds a lot more flavor!
What pot am I using?
Any heavy-bottom soup pot will work for this recipe! The one I’m using is the Staub cast iron round cocette. Make sure the pot you’re using is big enough to cook everything!
More healthy winter meals
Did you try this recipe?
Leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, and tag me @real.life.nutritionist.
White Bean and Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 ribs celery, diced small
- 1 white onion, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed, I used a mix of cannellini beans and navy beans
- 3 cups shredded (or chopped) rotisserie chicken, skin and bone removed
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 big handfuls chopped kale, stems removed
- ½-1 lemon, adjust to taste
Optional Toppings
- fresh dill or parsley
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- extra lemon juice
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot or dutch oven
Instructions
- Add olive oil to your pot and heat to medium over the stove.
- Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent.
- Add garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn your garlic!
- Add beans, chicken, and chicken broth to the pot and stir. Turn heat to high and cook until broth is lightly bubbling, about 5-10 minutes. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Once your vegetables are cooked, add kale and the juice of ½ lemon. Stir, cover, and simmer for a few more minutes or until kale is softened to your liking. Taste and add more lemon if desired.
- When you're ready to eat, transfer your soup to bowls and top with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and/or extra lemon juice. Enjoy!
Great soup! My husband said it’s a new favorite! We used raw ckn breast instead of rotisserie, but it cooked through and tasted great with the same directions.