Go to Homepage
Get Our Cookbook

    White Bean Chicken Soup

    Brightened with fresh dill, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little jalapeño, this garlicky white bean chicken soup recipe is a fresh, modern take on classic chicken soup.

    Categories:

    White Bean Chicken soup in a bowl with carrots fresh dill, chard, carrots and celery with a spoon.

    When Is Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup Quick & Easy?

    When it’s rotisserie chicken vegetable soup! Pre-roasted chickens from the grocery store are just SO handy. Using an already-cooked chicken (or leftover chicken, if you happen to have it around) means that this white bean chicken soup comes together in under an hour. A favorite back pocket chicken soup recipe for when you’re trying to cure a cold, or just the rainy day blues.

    2 lemons, onion, carrots, garlic, kale, fresh dill and 2 jalapeños laid out on a counter.

    💌 Let's Stay Together

    There are so many great ways to receive all of our latest recipes, meal tips, and inspiration.

    Ingredients For White Bean Chicken Soup

    We still have a little room in our retro hearts for the occasional little red can of chicken and stars, but most of the time our grown-up taste buds win out over nostalgic cravings. Here's what you will need to make this chicken soup.

    • Olive oil

    • Chicken stock

    • Shredded chicken

    • Veggies: carrots, onions and celery

    • Herbs: Fresh dill and bay leaf

    • Garlic

    • Lemon juice

    • Jalapeño (optional)

    • Cannellini beans (or any other creamy white bean)

    • Swiss chard

    • Salt & pepper

    • Parmesan cheese

    Swiss chard on the counter
    Cannellini beans in a white bowl

    How to Make Chicken Soup

    A hearty, warming bowl of garlicky, lemony chicken-bean soup is just five steps away. Here’s how to make our easy chicken soup (and just about any other chicken or vegetable soup, for that matter—these steps are basically soup 101):

    1. Sauté! Onions, carrots, celery, jalapeño, bay leaf, garlic in oil until they’re soft and fragrant.
    2. Boil. Stir in the chicken stock, white beans, shredded chicken, and dill and bring the soup to a good rolling boil.
    3. Simmer. Turn the heat down a little, and simmer until the flavors have merged—about 20 minutes.
    4. Wilt. Add a squeeze of lemon juice along with the chard, and let it wilt.
    5. Serve. Garnish with more dill, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little parmesan, if you’d like to.
    A large soup pot filled with white bean chicken soup garnished with fresh dill lemon slices
    three bowls of white bean chicken soup with spoons and a linen

    Tools You’ll Need:

    White Bean Chicken Soup in a bowl next to a soup pot

    Five Chicken Soup Recipes to Get You Through Cold Season

    We can’t stop you from getting sick, but we can help make you feel better.

    White Bean Chicken Soup in a bowl
    White Bean Chicken Soup in a bowl with a spoon and crusty bread

    How Are You Feeling?

    We hope this soup cures what ails you! It’s a great one to give as part of a meal train, or to make for yourself on a cold night when you need some bone-deep warming. However you enjoy it, and whomever you share it with, we want to hear about it! Snap a photo of your white bean chicken soup and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

    Related Recipes

    White Bean Chicken Soup

    September 20, 2016

    • Serves: 6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  40 min
    • Calories: 312
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
    • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
    • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
    • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely diced (optional)
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 8 cups chicken stock
    • 2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
    • 2 to 3 cups shredded chicken, poached or from a rotisserie chicken
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
    • 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon, plus more to taste
    • Parmesan cheese, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onions, carrots, celery, jalapeño (if using), and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant 1 more minute.

    2. Add the chicken stock, beans, shredded chicken, salt, pepper, and dill. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Add chard and lemon juice and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded.

    3. Divide between bowls and garnish with dill, Parmesan and additional lemon juice if desired.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories312
    • Protein24 g
    • Carbohydrates34 g
    • Total Fat6 g
    • Dietary Fiber8 g
    • Cholesterol53 mg
    • sodium1666 mg
    • Total Sugars6 g

    White Bean Chicken Soup

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

    or

    • Shannon

      How much is considered 1 serving? 1 cup? 2 cups? thanks!

      We are working on getting yields added to our recipes but don't have that at this time! Thanks for asking.

    • Alicia

      How can I make this in the instant pot?

      I would heat the oil in the instant pot and cook the onions, carrots, celery, jalapeño until tender. Add garlic and cook a little longer. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper and dill. Seal and cook on manual mode for 10 minutes. release and stir in the beans, cooked shredded chicken, chard and lemon juice and just stir until the chard is wilted. Garnished with dill and shaved Parmesan. If you need to make it with raw chicken breast, use 1 1/2 lbs and cook the raw chicken with everything else for 15 minutes.

    • Melody Leech

      Can I use lime instead of lemon?

      Sure.

    • Patti

      Sounds delicious!
      Could another type of beans be substituted for the cannellini?
      And could I substitute kale for the swiss chard?
      Thank you!

      Yes and yes. You can use almost any bean you have on hand.

    • Donna Turner

      This is a great recipe. Great flavor. However, I dont have any swiss chard or spinach to add. Can I use cabbage?

      Sure! Sounds great.

    • Halie

      I quote my husband, “never find another soup from a different blogger again. The other ones are rated 2 now compared to this.”
      This is a keeper, it was so flavorful and absolutely delicious!

      Aw thanks Halie, we are so happy you guys loved it so much!

    • Holly Chapman

      Simply elegant! I prepped this for our lunches this week. Wanted to make a white bean and chicken soup. Was looking for simple and something with a good amount of protein and fiber. Used Marcella beans from Rancho Gordo. Used fresh fennel bulb in place of the celery as I had one hiding in my produce drawer. Fresh dill and chard from the garden... and yes, a rotisserie chicken from the store. Super tasty. My niece often mentions preparing dinner recipes from The Modern Proper. Now I know why. Guess I'll be looking for a new cookbook!

      Aw thanks Holly! We are so happy you loved the recipe! If you end up getting our book we hope you love it!

    • Laura

      This was an easy framework for a delicious chicken soup. Very simple to adapt to whatever you have on hand. Don't skip the lemon / parmesan at the end. Wonderful.

      Thanks Laura, glad you loved it!

    • Liza

      I made this last night for the family. It was a winning recipe that everyone enjoyed!

      Thanks LIza! We are so happy you and your family love this recipe!

    • Sue

      so good! I used the stems from the chard instead of celery but followed the rest of the recipe as presented. Perfect for a cold Dec. day.

      Thanks Sue, glad you loved it!