Sit down to a filling and complete serving of protein with this hearty white bean butternut soup complete with chicken and vegetables.

Number of Servings: 6

Prep Time:  15 min.

Cook Time: 40 min.

Total Time: 55 min.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups butternut squash, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/16 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can low sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 32-ounce container low sodium chicken broth
  • 1-pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups roughly chopped Lacinato kale

Preparation

  1. Heat olive oil in a 4.5-quart pot fitted with a lid over medium heat. Add butternut squash, celery, onion, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften and flavors marry. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
  2. Add the cannellini beans and pour in the chicken stock, then stir to combine. Nestle the chicken down in the vegetable and stock mixture, then increase the heat to medium-high to bring the soup to a low boil. Once shallow bubbles are visible at the surface, turn the stove down to low to bring the soup down to a simmer. Allow soup to sit, covered, for 25-30 minutes, just until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees and butternut squash is tender.
  3. Remove soup from the heat. Using tongs, remove the chicken and place on a clean cutting board. Shred the chicken with 2 forks, then set aside.
  4. Carefully scoop 3 cups of the soup into a high-speed blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Carefully pour the puree back into the remaining soup in the pot, along with the shredded chicken. Add the chopped kale and stir to combine. Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes

  1. Save time buy purchasing the pre-cut butternut squash at the grocery store.
  2. Be very careful when processing a portion of the hot soup in your blender or food processor. If yours don’t have a way for steam to escape, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending.
  3. For a vegetarian friendly option, omit the chicken and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.