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High Protein White Bean Soup

High protein white bean soup with a hearty Italian-style broth, shredded chicken, and wilted kale. Cannellini beans simmer with parmesan rind for a thick, savory texture, then chicken and greens finish it in minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cannellini beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans Drained
Shredded 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
Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan rind
  • 1 parmesan rind
Olive oil
  • 0.5 tbsp olive oil For serving, drizzle
Parmesan
  • 2 tbsp parmesan For serving, grated/shaved
Lemon
  • 0.5 lemon For serving, wedges or juice
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

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

Notes

For the creamiest texture, mash the beans directly in the pot with the back of a spoon after the 20-minute simmer, leaving some whole for body. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (reheat gently, adding a splash of broth if needed). For a lighter option, swap the pancetta for diced turkey bacon to reduce fat while keeping the smoky flavor.