White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup

Chilly nights call for cozy White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup! This easy to make soup is packed with veggies and full of protein from chicken breast and beans, all in a bright comforting broth. Best served with crusty bread or crackers!

What are the ingredients in this White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup?

This soup is packed with veggies to give it incredible flavor, as well as chicken breasts, lemon juice, beans, and some seasonings you might already have on hand. Here’s a little more info on everything I used in this soup:

• chicken breasts – Yes we are using boneless skinless chicken breasts here, but I truly think searing them first then cooking the veggies in the leftovers, plus giving the chicken breasts a fine slice and chop after cooking make a huge difference.
• salt & fresh ground black pepper – Always! It’s important to season at different steps along the way: the chicken, the veggies, and at the end after cooking.
• olive oil – Useful for cooking the chicken and veggies. You could also cook the veggies in butter if you want!
• leek – Okay I’m not usually a leek person, but when combined with all the classic chicken soup/mirepoix veggies, it adds another layer of complexity. You can’t really taste just the leeks. Does this make sense? I hope so.
• carrots, celery & onion – Mirepoix combo that I use as the base for nearly every soup because it’s my favorite!
• garlic – Another favorite of mine: garlic. I tried to be a bit more honest with the garlic amount in the ingredients list. Four cloves is usually my minimum for any recipe. If you want to double that, please feel free!!
• chicken broth – Using a quality chicken broth can help amp up the flavor even more! Extra points for homemade.
• cannellini beans – These are white kidney beans. I actually love the ‘mouthfeel’ they bring to the soup. Like a creamy little morsel in every bite.
• Italian seasoning – For the final umph of flavor, add some Italian seasoning. I think this is a good spice to invest in because you get several spices in one that all go together 🙂
• lemon juice – To brighten the entire soup, the answer is lemon juice. I do think it’s important to add half first and taste to see if it needs more. Don’t pour the entire amount in at first – some lemons are much stronger than others.

Equipment you’ll need to make this soup recipe:

The most important piece of equipment you’ll need for this recipe is not only your soup pot, but a really sharp knife and cutting board for all the veggies. Honestly any soup pot that’s at least 6 quarts would work.

How to make this White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup:

Something I have not yet pointed out about this White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup is that technically it’s a one-pan recipe! All the cooking steps happen in the same pan, which makes things a bit more simple overall. You’ll want to make sure all the veggies are prepped ahead of time so you can throw them in right when needed!

After you’ve cut all the veggies, focus on the chicken. I like to use a separate plate for seasoning the chicken (and use it again after searing to save dishes!). Pat them dry if there’s a ton of extra moisture, then season both sides really well with salt and pepper.

Once the chicken is seasoned, heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Be sure to gently swirl the pan so the oil coats the bottom completely. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken breasts to the pot. Don’t touch them at all after you set them down – this helps you get the best sear.

Let the chicken cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until both chicken breasts are sufficiently browned on both sides. At that point, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. It will not yet be fully cooked yet, that’s okay! It will finish cooking as the soup simmers later.

Next, add remaining olive oil to the same soup pot. Add all the veggies except the garlic, and a nice big pinch of salt. Cook until they’ve softened, stirring occasionally so nothing burns. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until you can smell it really well.

Once the veggies are done cooking, add a small amount of broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot if needed, then add the rest of the chicken broth as well. Stir in the drained beans, the Italian seasoning, and then return the browned chicken breasts to the pot too.

Let the soup come to a low boil, then reduce heat to low. Put the lid on and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Feel free to stir it once or twice as it cooks to make sure nothing is sticking, but it should be on low enough heat to prevent that.

Carefully remove the fully cooked chicken breasts from the pot and transfer them to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken against the grain into thin slices, then cut the slices into small pieces (check the photos for exactly what I mean). I prefer tiny pieces of chicken in my soup rather than large pieces of shredded chicken, but if that’s easier for you, go for it!

Return the cut chicken to the soup pot. Add half the lemon juice and another generous pinch of salt. Stir and taste to see if needs additional salt or lemon juice. You will most likely need additional lemon juice, but it’s good to start slowly just in case. This is one of the most important parts! It will ensure the soup is well received and delicious.

Here’s a tip: Add more lemon juice if you can’t taste the lemon, and add more salt if it needs a bit more depth (or umph). Serve the soup with chopped parsley, Saltine crackers, and lemon wedges!

Best tips for making this soup:

Here are my best tips for making this soup in your own kitchen:

• As with all soups, it is crucial to taste and see how you feel about it at the end of cooking. Most of our ingredients are fresh and unsalted when they start, so adding salt is crucial, but we all have different taste preferences.
• Cut veggies (onion, celery and carrot) the same size so they cook the at the same rate! For tips on how to cut a leek, browse this guide on How to Slice and Clean Leeks from The Natural Nurturer.
• Letting the chicken brown/sear sufficiently really helps add extra flavor to the soup. Don’t be afraid to turn up the heat! But keep it quick. The chicken will finish cooking as the soup simmers.

What to serve with this recipe:

The actual best thing to serve with this White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup is a few slices of a thick crust bread like sourdough or this simple Miracle No-Knead Bread. Another option that’s almost as good: crackers, Saltines, Goldfish, any cracker like that!

Ways to meal prep this recipe:

There are a couple ways to save time by preparing all or part of this recipe ahead of time. Here are some options:

1. Partial prep & cook later: Chop all the veggies, measure out the spices, and make sure everything is ready to go up to 48 hours ahead of time. Then, when dinner time rolls around, make the recipe as written.
2. Complete prep & store: Make this soup ahead of time and store in individual portioned airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat as needed throughout the week.
3. Complete prep & freeze: Freeze portions of your soup and keep them in the freezer until you need a meal. I prefer to freeze soup in my 2-Cup Souper Cubes Trays (affiliate link!)! More info below.
4. Do a combination of 2 and 3. I usually eat a serving, portion a couple servings for the week, and freeze the rest.

How to store White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup:

Store in individually portioned containers or one large airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4 days.

How to freeze White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup:

Use Souper Cubes Trays (2-Cup Souper Cubes Trays (affiliate link!) are what I usually use for soup) to freeze individual portions of soup in cubes. Store in the trays or transfer to another airtight container. Best enjoyed within 4-6 months. 

How to reheat White Bean Lemon Chicken Soup:

Reheat from the fridge: Cook soup in a microwave safe container for about 2 minutes, or until steaming hot. Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan full of soup on the stove until steaming hot (about 10 minutes). You shouldn’t need to add more broth but you can if you prefer a brothier soup.

Reheat from the freezer: Place frozen cube or portion in a saucepan and heat over medium, covered but stirring occasionally, until completely thawed and steaming hot (about 15 minutes).

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.