This 30 Minute Pesto Chicken, Kale + White Bean Soup is the perfect cozy recipe to whip up on a cold night when you want something healthy and easy.
Another day in February, another snow storm, and so, another pot of soup.
Call it a hunch, but I think you’re really going to love this recipe for Pesto Chicken, Kale and White Bean Soup. For starters, it’s easy. Like, really easy. It’s made with basic pantry staples like chicken stock and canned beans, and comes together from start to finish in an astonishing 30 minutes. This soup was made with busy weeknights in mind.
Last month I asked my Instagram and Facebook followers what kinds of recipes they’d like to see more of, and the overwhelming response was easy and healthy dinners. I’ve been on a mission to fulfill that request ever since, and I think this recipe fits the bill perfectly.
In such a short amount of time, this Pesto Chicken, Kale + White Bean Soup manages to develop an impressive depth of flavor. It’s a flavor that reminds me of summer, despite that this recipe was clearly made with winter in mind. The scent of homemade pesto buzzing away in the food processor always brings me back to the warm sunshiny days when I had a never-ending supply of fresh basil growing in my garden. It stings a little to have to buy basil from the grocery store this time of year, but for this soup, it’s totally worth it.
In addition to this being a crazy easy and crazy delicious meal to whip up, it’s also crazy healthy. It’s high in protein thanks to the chicken and beans, and chock full of veggies, like carrots, celery onions and kale, plus there’s no shortage of pungent garlic, which is known to possess magical illness-fighting powers.
Unlike the last pot of soup I made, this one definitely begs to be served with a piece of crusty bread or cheesy toast, but if you’ve been following along with me lately you know that I’ve been avoiding that stuff like the plague. Needless to say, I served this Pesto Chicken, Kale and White Bean Soup sans bread, and Chaser and I both enjoyed it just fine. While it certainly would have benefitted from a freshly baked hunk of baguette, it truly didn’t need it, and that is quite a feat.
If you’re hunkering down for a storm or just want a delicious, easy and healthy dinner to add to your repertoire, this recipe is one you absolutely don’t want to miss.
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This 30 Minute Pesto Chicken, Kale + White Bean Soup is the perfect cozy recipe to whip up on a cold night when you want something healthy and easy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow or Spanish onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, plus 1-2 cloves for pesto*
- 2 quarts chicken stock, homemade or boxed
- 2 cans white beans (cannelloni or great northern), drained and rinsed
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 medium)
- 1 bunch kale (I used Tuscan/lacinato but any variety works), tough stems removed and cut or torn into pieces
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts (not toasted)
- 3 packed cups fresh basil
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the chicken stock and white beans, stir, then submerge the chicken breasts. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, make the pesto. Add 1 large or 2 smaller cloves garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped, then add the pine nuts and basil. Continue pulsing as you slowly stream in the olive oil. Add the parmesan cheese and pulse a few more times until everything is well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the chicken breasts and let cool, then use two forks to shred into bite sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the pot along with the kale, stir, then cover and cook just a few minutes more until the kale is wilted.
- Stir in the pesto and lemon juice, then ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with more grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, then serve it piping hot.
Notes
*Use 1 large clove to make the pesto or 2 if smaller.
Keywords: Italian, pesto, chicken, kale, white bean, cannellini, great northern beans, soup
Nicole Gaffney, aka Coley, is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, tv host and food writer.
This looks fantastic, but did I miss the part where you make the pesto? I assume the garlic , olive oil, basil , Parmesan and pine nuts get whirred in a food processor? Thanks.
Ahh!! I can’t believe a whole paragraph went missing. It’s been updated! Thanks Hanya!
I made this *almost* as written, but with just a couple of shortcuts – I used a rotisserie chicken (and the drippings!) and some packaged pesto that tastes just like my homemade pesto and shredded carrots. The recipe came together quickly but tasted like it had been simmering for hours. This was such a fragrant and flavorful soup and I have two quarts in my freezer for the cold days to come. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
That’s great, Allie! Those short cuts are perfectly acceptably and make life so much easier! Yay!