Go Back

High-Protein Chicken & White Bean Soup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 490
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g cooked shredded chicken breast
  • 1/2 can cannellini white beans rinsed
  • 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/4 small onion diced
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt pepper, and chili flakes to taste
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Optional: a grating of parmesan and crusty bread on the side

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent.
  2. Add the minced garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, and chili flakes. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Add the white beans and stir to combine. Using the back of a spoon or a fork, lightly crush about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot — this naturally thickens the broth without any additional ingredients.
  5. Add the shredded chicken and simmer everything together for 8–10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
  6. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until fully wilted.
  7. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
  8. Ladle into a deep bowl and finish with a grating of parmesan and a piece of crusty bread if using.

Notes

Rotisserie chicken remains one of the best value proteins for a soup like this — the chicken is already cooked and seasoned, and shredding it takes two minutes. One rotisserie bird covers three to four solo servings when portioned and refrigerated. Cannellini beans are cheap, protein-rich, and do double duty here as both protein and a natural thickener when some are crushed into the broth. Buying broth in a larger carton rather than individual cans brings the per-serving cost down significantly.