Chicken Minestrone Soup
This chicken minestrone soup is a hearty, one-pot Italian dinner packed with tender shredded chicken, two kinds of beans, garden vegetables, and tiny ditalini pasta in a savory tomato broth. A Parmesan rind simmered in the broth adds deep, savory flavor, making it taste like it simmered all afternoon even though it's ready in about an hour.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed soup pot with lid 6 to 7 quart
- Instant-read thermometer to check the chicken
- Sharp chef's knife for dicing the vegetables
- Large cutting board
- Microplane grater for fresh Parmesan
- Wooden spoon for stirring
- Two forks for shredding the chicken
- Ladle for serving
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener and colander for the beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion about 1½ cups or 225g, diced
- 3 medium carrots about 1½ cups or 200g, peeled and diced
- 3 ribs celery about 1 cup or 100g, diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 680g; thighs also work
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1.4L
- 2 cups water 480ml
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes 795g
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans 425g, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans 425g, drained and rinsed
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind about 2 to 3 inches
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta
- 3 packed cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn, for serving
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into ½-inch pieces. Mince the garlic, dice the zucchini, trim and cut the green beans, and drain and rinse both cans of beans. Pat the chicken dry and measure out the spices.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth, water, and crushed tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in both beans, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper, then nestle in the whole chicken breasts and tuck in the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 18 to 22 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Avoid a rapid boil, which can toughen the meat.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes, then shred with two forks. Leave the Parmesan rind and bay leaves in the pot and cover the chicken to keep it warm.
- Bring the soup back to a steady simmer and stir in the ditalini and green beans. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the zucchini and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more, until the pasta is al dente. Add a splash of water or broth if it looks too thick.
- Reduce the heat to low, return the shredded chicken to the pot, and stir in the baby spinach until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves, stir in the balsamic vinegar, and season to taste.
- Ladle into bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of chicken, beans, and pasta. Top with grated Parmesan and torn basil, and drizzle with olive oil if desired. Let cool slightly before eating.
Notes
- Cut vegetables evenly into ½-inch pieces so everything cooks at the same speed and nothing turns mushy.
- Use low-sodium broth since the Parmesan rind, canned beans, and cheese topping all add salt.
- Never skip the Parmesan rind—even a small piece adds savory depth, and a rind from the freezer works perfectly.
- Add the balsamic vinegar at the end; just one teaspoon lifts the whole pot and the soup tastes flat without it.
- Cook the ditalini only until al dente because it keeps absorbing broth and softening as it sits.
- For leftovers, boil the pasta separately and add it to each bowl so it never sits in the pot overnight.
- Thin the soup with a little hot water or broth if it thickens too much after resting.
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut: stir in 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken at the end and simmer the vegetables for about 15 minutes instead of cooking raw chicken.
- Freeze the soup for up to 3 months, ideally without the pasta, then add freshly cooked pasta and a handful of spinach when reheating.
- Store in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to 4 days; the flavors get even better after a night in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 30gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 700mgPotassium: 900mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 20mg
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