Dinner tonight!
About a year ago I made my first batch of chickpea chicken soup and fell in love. There’s something so comforting about tossing a mix of ingredients into a simmering pot of broth — it warms the kitchen and the soul.
I really do love soup. It’s simple, nourishing, and endlessly adaptable.
Here’s something a little personal: Mr. How Sweet has been away for almost two weeks. I usually relish those stretches of single-lady time — hogging the bed, watching endless episodes of Friends, not picking up after myself, and eating whatever I want. Cheese and crackers? Absolutely every night.
But then I got sick the day he left. It wiped out my sense of smell, my appetite, and most of my energy. I could barely eat — maybe six full meals in eleven days — and I survived on sips of soup and lots of Nyquil. The timing couldn’t have been worse, since I had grand plans to deep-clean the house. Instead I spent my time curled up, listening to my own snoring and avoiding anything that required too much effort.
My appetite has returned slowly. For several days I left a pan of baklava and a tray of mocha coconut fudge untouched; when I finally gave in, I ended up alternating bites of fudge and pretzel like a sleep-deprived person on autopilot. Strange, but true.
During recovery I lived mostly on greens and soup. This white bean and chicken version is one of the soups that kept me going. It starts with bacon for a deep, savory base — don’t skip it, it adds essential flavor — then builds with aromatics, mushrooms, spinach, cannellini beans and cooked chicken. A touch of smoked paprika and a handful of fontina stirred in at the end bring everything together into a creamy, satisfying bowl.
Mr. How Sweet is coming home tonight, so I’ll be serving something hearty for dinner. If he minds eating dinner at midnight in bed while we watch Friends, he’ll have to tell me later.
White Bean Chicken Soup
Serves 4
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 1 cleaned and trimmed leek, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (6 oz) bag fresh spinach
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese, plus more for garnish
Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook until crispy and the fat has rendered, then remove the bacon and drain it on paper towel. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the onion and leek, and stir to coat them in the bacon fat. Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, stirring to coat, and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in the black pepper and smoked paprika, then add the garlic and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 3–4 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken and toss to combine. Stir in the cannellini beans, chicken stock and water, then bring the soup to a gentle simmer for 10–15 minutes to meld the flavors. Stir in the grated fontina and the cooked bacon. Taste and add salt only if needed — the bacon, stock and fontina usually provide enough seasoning.
Serve hot with extra grated fontina and crackers on the side.
Note: If you have pre-cooked chicken, this soup comes together in under 30 minutes. If you need to cook the chicken first, allow about 45 minutes total.
P.S. The little crispy multigrain flax crackers pictured are a favorite — lots of crunch and a great accompaniment to soup.