Ultimate Hearty Chicken Bean Soup: A Comforting Tomato-Based Recipe for Chilly Days

Why This Hearty Chicken Bean Soup Will Become Your Go-To Recipe

Imagine coming home after a long day to the aroma of a simmering, savory soup. There’s truly nothing as comforting and inviting on a chilly autumn or winter day as a steamy bowl of homemade goodness. This hearty chicken bean soup is designed to warm you from the inside out, making it an ideal choice as temperatures drop and evenings get darker. Here in Wisconsin, where the seasons bring a noticeable shift, delicious soup recipes become a staple in my family’s meal plans, and this one consistently tops the list.

One of the best features of this recipe is its incredible versatility and ease. While many soups can be adapted for a slow cooker, this particular recipe shines when prepared on the stovetop, coming together relatively quickly without compromising on flavor. This makes it perfect for weeknight dinners when you need a satisfying meal without a long wait. Beyond its quick preparation, this chicken bean soup is also remarkably freezer-friendly. This means you can easily double or even triple the batch, enjoying a fresh bowl now and saving extra portions for those busy weeks ahead. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy delicious home-cooked meals even when time is short, ensuring you always have a wholesome option at your fingertips.

Packed with lean protein from the chicken and fiber from the beans, along with nutrient-rich vegetables, this soup is not only delicious but also a wonderfully healthy choice. It’s a complete meal in itself, providing sustained energy and keeping you full and satisfied. The robust flavors and simple ingredients make it a family favorite, appealing to both adults and children. Its rustic charm and deep, earthy taste ensure it’s a dish everyone will look forward to.

Essential Ingredients for Your Delicious Chicken Bean Soup

Crafting a truly flavorful soup begins with selecting the right ingredients. For this hearty chicken bean soup, you’ll find that most items are simple pantry staples, ensuring that preparation is both convenient and accessible. We focus on fresh, wholesome components that contribute to the rich taste and satisfying texture of the final dish. Below is a general overview of what you’ll need; for precise measurements and a printable list, please refer to the detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.

You’ll primarily need:

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for their lean protein, cut into cubes for quick cooking and easy eating.
• Beans: A combination of cannellini beans and dark red kidney beans adds both texture and a significant protein and fiber boost, making the soup truly satisfying.
• Aromatics & Vegetables: Fresh onion, carrots, and celery form the classic “mirepoix,” providing the foundational flavor notes for the soup.
• Tomato Base: Canned tomatoes, pureed, are the secret to this soup’s distinctive rich, earthy, and slightly tangy flavor profile.
• Broth: High-quality chicken broth will be the liquid base, tying all the flavors together.
• Herbs & Seasoning: Fresh Italian parsley and a bay leaf are essential for aromatic depth, alongside salt and pepper to taste.
• Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the chicken and vegetables, adding a touch of healthy fat and aiding in flavor development.

Gathering these fresh and wholesome ingredients is the first step towards creating a bowl of comforting deliciousness that your family will adore.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Perfect Chicken Bean Soup

Follow these detailed step-by-step photos and instructions to visualize the entire cooking process for this delicious recipe. For a convenient printable version with all precise measurements and instructions, simply jump to the recipe card at the very end of this post.

1. Sauté the Chicken: Begin by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a sturdy stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add your cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Sauté the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it’s no longer pink on the outside and lightly browned. This step is crucial for locking in flavor and creating a tender texture. Remove the cooked chicken with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a separate bowl, setting it aside for later. This ensures the chicken doesn’t overcook during the simmering process.
   
2. Brown the Aromatics: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same Dutch oven. Introduce your chopped onion, carrots, and sliced celery to the pot. Sauté these vegetables, stirring periodically, until they begin to soften and lightly brown, which typically takes about fifteen minutes. This browning process, known as caramelization, develops a deep, rich flavor foundation for your soup, making a significant difference in the final taste.
   
   
3. Prepare the Tomato Base: While your vegetables are sautéing, open your can of tomatoes (do not drain the liquid). Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are fully pureed, ensuring no large chunks remain. This creates a smooth, consistent tomato base that will blend beautifully into the soup, providing that signature richness and color.
   
4. Combine and Simmer the Soup Base: Once the vegetables are perfectly browned, add the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, both cans of drained cannellini and kidney beans, fresh chopped Italian parsley, and the bay leaf to the Dutch oven. Stir all the ingredients well to combine. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes, which gives the flavors time to meld and deepen beautifully. This is where the magic happens as all the components infuse together.
   
5. Add Chicken and Finish: Finally, return the sautéed chicken to the Dutch oven. Continue to simmer the soup for another 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly heated through and tender. Before serving, carefully remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper according to your preference. Serve hot and enjoy this wonderfully comforting and hearty chicken bean soup!

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Bean Soup

---

In conclusion, this chicken bean soup, with its unique tomato base, stands out as a truly hearty, flavorful, and incredibly easy-to-make dish. The combination of tender chicken, robust beans (cannellini and kidney), and the rich tomato broth creates a harmony of flavors that is both comforting and satisfying. Its inherent versatility means you can effortlessly adapt it to your family’s preferences by incorporating additional vegetables or spices, making it a truly customizable meal.

While elegant enough to serve as a substantial appetizer, this soup is certainly filling enough to be the star of your dinner table. Pair it with a side of warm, crusty homemade Italian bread for dipping, or a fresh green salad, and you have a complete, wholesome meal that’s perfect for those cooler evenings. It’s a recipe that delivers big on taste with minimal fuss, ensuring it will become a regular in your rotation.

Explore More Comforting Soup Recipes

If you’ve enjoyed the comforting warmth of this chicken bean soup, you’ll love exploring other delightful soup creations. Soups are fantastic for their versatility, ability to feed a crowd, and their comforting nature. Here are some more of my favorite soup recipes perfect for any season, especially fall and winter:

• For those who appreciate the tangy depth of tomato-based soups, don’t miss this fantastic homemade tomato soup recipe, or consider trying a luxurious roasted red pepper tomato soup for an elevated twist.
• Seeking another truly extra-hearty option, simple corn chowder is a timeless classic that appeals to all ages and is always a family favorite, packed with sweet corn and creamy goodness.
• Embracing the essence of fall cooking, it’s the ideal time of year to savor a bowl of warming rustic garlic potato soup. Its rich and earthy flavors are incredibly satisfying.
• Sausage mushroom wild rice soup offers another splendid choice for an autumn dish. The hearty wild rice and savory sausage create a wonderfully textured and flavorful experience that just feels quintessentially “fall.”
• Discover how incredibly simple it is to make your own homemade cream of chicken soup using basic ingredients you likely already have on hand, far surpassing store-bought versions.
• With a vibrant and colorful array of fresh vegetables simmering in a robust, tomato-like broth, this minestrone soup is both hearty and incredibly healthy, a complete meal in itself.
• For a truly indulgent experience, lobster bisque is an exquisite choice, elegantly flavored with succulent buttery lobster tails, aromatic garlic, onion, celery, carrot, rich tomato paste, a splash of white wine, and a harmonious blend of seasonings.

I am passionate about baking and cooking, and I love sharing my culinary adventures and kitchen wisdom with all of you! To make sure you never miss a new recipe, I offer a convenient newsletter that delivers delicious dishes straight to your inbox every time a new post goes live. Simply subscribe today and start receiving your free daily recipes!

This post originally appeared here on Oct 21, 2015 and has since been updated with new photos.