Easy White Bean Chicken Soup for a Crowd

When I'm feeding a crowd, I always look for recipes that are easy. I first served this white bean chicken soup earlier this fall and I thought it was great. My mother-in-law was such a fan of this easy chicken-based soup that she wanted me to text her the recipe the next day. 


I liked this chicken soup so much that I plan to serve it to friends at a holiday gathering later this month for the holiday season. Surprisingly, the recipe originated from a Southern Living kid's cookbook that I bought years ago. 

This white bean chicken soup can easily be doubled for entertaining. You could also saute your own boneless chicken and use a rotisserie chicken breast seasoning instead of deboning a chicken from the store. This easy chicken soup takes on a holiday look when you add cilantro for a touch of green.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.  It also freezes well. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter 
 
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skinned, boned, and coarsely chopped
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 (16-ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
 

**You can double the recipe, but I still use only one onion. If the chicken soup is too thick, you can add water or extra chicken broth on the reheat. 


Directions: 

Melt butter in a large pot over low heat: add carrot, onions, and garlic. Saute until tender then stir in chicken, chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, and red pepper. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.  Place beans in a medium bowl and mash using a potato masher until about half the beans are still whole. Add beans and the whipping cream to the chicken soup mixture. 

Cook 10 additional minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro (optional). 

My time for writing and sharing this blog post is made possible by sponsor, Rivenrun Dental in Richmond, Virginia.