Pesto Chicken & Cannellini Bean Soup

This healthy, Italian-inspired chicken soup recipe is loaded with fiber-rich vegetables and beans and gets an extra boost of flavor from a swirl of pesto at the end. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients.

Ingredients

8 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
3 cups sliced fennel
3 cups broccolini (1-inch pieces; about 1 bunch)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup prepared pesto

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add oregano and marjoram; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and chicken. Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook, turning the chicken occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone registers 165°F, 20 to 22 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface as the chicken cooks.

2. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
Meanwhile, add fennel, broccolini and tomatoes to the pot; return to a simmer.

3. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, beans, salt and pepper and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in pesto.