Lunch / Dinner
Chicken, White Bean, and Rosemary Soup
This nod to chicken noodle soup is even more nourishing thanks to escarole and cannellini beans, but it still has the comfort factor that’ll warm up your soul. The swaps make it better for freezing, too, so cook up a batch of Chicken, White Bean, and Rosemary Soup to enjoy all winter long.
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Tip
If you have rotisserie chicken on hand, shred 3½ cups to use in place of chicken pieces.
Instructions
Add beans and water to cover by 2 inches in a large bowl. Let stand for 8 hours. Drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a medium Dutch oven. Add onion and celery; cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove from pot.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot; heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add half of chicken to pot; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pot. Repeat with remaining chicken. Gradually stir in 7½ cups water, scraping browned bits from bottom of pot. Return chicken, beans, and onion mixture to pot. Add 2 teaspoons rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Partially cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from broth. Add carrots; continue simmering until beans and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes more. Skim fat from surface, if desired.
Meanwhile, let chicken cool slightly. Shred meat, discarding bones. Return meat to pot. Stir in lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Add escarole (if using); cook until escarole is tender, about 3 minutes more. Top with celery leaves and pepper, if desired.