Go Back

High Protein White Bean Soup

High protein white bean soup with an Italian-American broth that simmers with cannellini beans, a parmesan rind for depth, and tender shredded chicken. Finished with kale and crispy pancetta for a hearty, spoonable texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cannellini beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained
Chicken
  • 2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
Pancetta
  • 4 oz pancetta or turkey bacon, diced
Kale
  • 4 cup kale, chopped
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
Chicken broth
  • 6 cup chicken broth
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Seasonings
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan rind
  • 1 parmesan rind For simmering; remove before mashing/thickening.
Serving
  • 0.25 cup olive oil, and parmesan and lemon for serving Use to finish each bowl to taste.
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook pancetta and aromatics
  1. In a Dutch oven, cook the pancetta until crispy, then remove and set aside.
  2. Sauté the onion in the rendered fat for 4 minutes; add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
Simmer the broth
  1. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, Italian seasoning, and the parmesan rind; bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove the parmesan rind and mash some of the beans in the pot to thicken the soup.
Finish with chicken and kale
  1. Stir in shredded chicken and chopped kale, then simmer for 5-7 minutes until the kale is wilted.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top each bowl with the pancetta, parmesan, olive oil, and lemon.

Notes

For extra thickness, mash more beans after removing the parmesan rind—start with about one-third and adjust. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is yes, but kale may soften further when thawed. For a lighter option, swap pancetta for turkey bacon and use low-sodium chicken broth if desired.