Chicken and Cannellini Bean Soup

I made this soup for a gathering of 15 to 20 people. I had some extra bacon and a bundle of kale to get rid of and I knew a yummy soup was the place to put them. I didn't intend on sharing this soup here but after I tasted it I knew I had too. The rich and delicate broth was just to good to keep to myself.

I did something different with this soup that I had never done before. I had a good amount of brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan that the steam from the onion and green pepper couldn't bring off the bottom, so I poured in a quarter cup of white wine. It helped me scrape up the bits for extra flavor, then I let the wine cook out before finishing the soup. Not only did I get the extra flavor from the brown bits but the white wine added a hint of sweetness to the overall flavor and really sent it to the next level. One of the guys at the gathering had three bowls and would have went for more had I not run out. His excuse for eating so much was that he couldn't get enough of the broth.

Mission accomplished!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Chicken and Cannellini Bean Soup

Serves 15 to 20, 1 hour, 30 minutes
3 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into cubes
6 strips Bacon, diced
2 Sweet onions, diced
2 Green peppers, diced
1/4 C Garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 C White wine
3 can Cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
3 C Kale, shredded, torn
8 C chicken broth

Brown chicken, make base
In a large pot over medium heat brown chicken thighs until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Add bacon and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Add onion, green pepper and Italian seasoning, cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes add garlic and cook 1 minutes more or until fragrant.

Deglaze, finish
Add white wine and scrap all brown bits from bottom of pan. Let simmer until wine cooks out 5 to 6 minutes. Return chicken to pot and add beans, broth and kale to pot. Bring to a simmer and let cook for at least 1 hour. Spoon into bowls and serve.

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

Printable version

NOTE: This originally appeared in print the day after Thanksgiving.

As we gorge ourselves full of turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, I thought it was my duty as someone who shares my kitchen creations with the public to produce a healthy and tasty bite to counter-balance the gut-busting, diet-crashing cuisine that seems to accompany most holiday celebrations.

One of the healthiest foods available in grocery stores today is kale. The non-heading, leafy member of the cabbage family is rich in vitamins A and C, frolic acid, calcium and iron. Kale can be grown in warm climates but it thrives in cooler ones which may explain its popularity among Northern Europeans.

For this recipe, I use it in a soup and it is cooked like spinach, but the kale takes longer to wilt and it doesn’t cook down as much. It’s mild flavor is a nice addition to the cannellini beans that become rich and buttery after a long simmer. This soup will be a flavorful and healthy addition to that turkey sandwich smothered in gravy the day after Thanksgiving.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

This is the first time I had ever cooked with kale. I picked up a batch on sale and I thought it would be nice to try in a soup. I removed the stems and had a large amount of the leaves stuffed in a bowl. I thought that it would wilt down into just a fraction of its size like fresh spinach does.

Boy, was I wrong!

Once it was time for the kale I tossed in a couple hand fulls and waited for it to wilt down. And I kept waiting ... and waiting. I was seriously debating on weather to pull some of it out, but eventually it did cook down, and luckily I had thrown in just the right amount. I didn’t need to add anymore. I ended up using only a third of what I originally thought I was going to use.

It was a good experience and I want to use kale again, it has a mild flavor so I think I want to try and sauté it and make it the center piece of a side dish. Then well see how its taste really holds up.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

Serves 4; 35 minutes
1 C Onion, diced
1/2 C Celery, diced
1/2 C Carrot, diced
2 tsp Garlic, minced
3 Can Cannellini beans (15 oz each)
2 1/2 to 3 C Kale, Torn into pieces and stems removed
4 C Chicken broth
1 tsp Italian seasonings

Make base
In a soup pot over medium heat sauté onion, carrot and celery in a little olive oil until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more or until fragrant.

Finish
Stir in beans, kale, broth and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until kale has wilted, 20 to 25 minutes. Spoon into bowls and serve