Tender chicken, creamy cannellini beans, vegetables, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan simmer in a rich, garlicky broth for a cozy one-pot dinner that's perfect for fall.
It's October.
Which means the internet has officially decided we should all be wearing sweaters and staring thoughtfully at changing leaves.
Meanwhile, Florida is like:
“Best I can do is 87 degrees.” 😂🌴
We're making soup anyway.
This Creamy Tuscan White Bean & Chicken Soup combines tender chicken, white beans, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and herbs in a cozy, creamy broth.
And here's the trick: instead of relying entirely on heavy cream, we're blending some of the white beans with broth to create body and thickness. Then a little half-and-half and Parmesan finish things off.
Creamy. Savory. Garlicky. One pot.
Let's make dinner. 🍲💚
Creamy Tuscan White Bean & Chicken Soup
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35–40 minutes
Total Time: About 55 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
- ½ cup half-and-half
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 4 packed cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional for Serving
- Additional Parmesan
- Fresh parsley or thyme
- Cracked black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Crusty sourdough or whole-grain bread
Instructions
1. Brown the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown the chicken for approximately 3–4 minutes per side. It doesn't need to cook completely yet.
Transfer to a plate.
Leave those browned bits in the pot.
That's flavor. Don't clean anything. 😂
2. Cook the vegetables.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil if needed.
Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5–6 minutes, until beginning to soften.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for another 30–60 seconds.
3. Build the soup.
Add the diced tomatoes, 2 cans of cannellini beans, and 4 cups chicken broth.
Return the chicken to the pot.
Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and set aside.
4. Make it creamy.
Blend the remaining can of cannellini beans with the remaining 1 cup chicken broth until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the soup and stir.
This is our bean magic. 😂🫘
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer for another 3–5 minutes.
5. Finish the soup.
Reduce the heat to low.
Stir in the half-and-half and Parmesan, followed by the spinach.
Cook gently until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts. Avoid bringing the soup to a hard boil after adding the dairy.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Serve.
Ladle into bowls and finish with Parmesan, black pepper, herbs, or red pepper flakes.
And yes, I recommend a thick piece of crusty bread for dipping. 🥖😂
Why Blend the Beans?
This simple technique is doing a lot of work.
When we blend some of the cannellini beans with broth, the beans create body and thickness before we add any dairy.
That doesn't mean we're replacing “bad cream” with “good beans.”
We're simply giving different ingredients different jobs:
Beans provide body. Half-and-half provides creamy richness. Parmesan provides salty, savory depth.
Together, they make really good soup.
Beans: Carbohydrate or Protein?
Both.
Beans contain carbohydrates, fiber, and plant protein, along with vitamins and minerals.
And because beans contain carbohydrates, they can affect blood glucose. The fiber and protein don't make those carbohydrates disappear.
But that doesn't mean beans need to be avoided by people with insulin resistance.
This soup also contains chicken, vegetables, olive oil, dairy, spinach, and tomatoes. We're eating an entire meal—not conducting a metabolic experiment on one cannellini bean. 😂
Individual responses vary, so personalized guidance from your healthcare team still matters.
Easy Shortcuts & Swaps
Rotisserie chicken: Use about 3–4 cups shredded cooked chicken. Skip browning the raw chicken and stir the cooked chicken in when you add the blended beans.
Chicken breast: Use it in place of the thighs and cook until it reaches 165°F.
Different white beans: Great Northern or navy beans work if cannellini beans aren't available.
Kale: Swap it for spinach, but give it a little more time to soften.
Vegetarian: Skip the chicken, use vegetable broth, and add another can of beans or some browned mushrooms.
Dairy-free: Use a neutral unsweetened nondairy alternative in place of the half-and-half and omit or replace the Parmesan.
Dinner does not need to be canceled because the grocery store was out of cannellini beans. 😂
And Yes, You Can Have Bread 🥖
This soup already contains beans, which contribute carbohydrates.
Bread contains carbohydrates too.
There isn't a universal one-carbohydrate-per-meal rule.
If you're following individualized carbohydrate guidance, portion sizes and the overall meal may matter for you. But the presence of beans doesn't automatically ban bread from dinner.
Soup and bread have been friends for far too long for us to separate them now. 😂
Make Ahead & Storage
This soup is excellent for meal prep and may become even more flavorful after a night in the refrigerator.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 3–4 days.
The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth when reheating if necessary.
Reheat gently rather than bringing it to a hard boil.
Freezing
For the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the half-and-half, Parmesan, and spinach.
After thawing and reheating the soup base, add those ingredients and finish with the lemon juice.
Make It Your Own
Add browned mushrooms, zucchini, celery, kale, or extra spinach if you'd like more vegetables.
For more heat, increase the red pepper flakes.
You could even add a small pasta such as ditalini for a heartier version.
And yes:
Beans + pasta + bread can all technically appear at the same dinner table.
Nobody alert the carbohydrate police. 😂
Approximate Nutrition
For approximately 1/6 of the recipe, before bread or optional toppings:
- 480–560 calories
- 38–45g protein
- 40–50g carbohydrates
- 9–12g fiber
- 18–24g fat
Exact nutrition will vary based on the chicken, beans, broth, dairy, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, brands, and serving size.
Nutrition information is an estimate and isn't individualized nutrition advice.
Individual nutritional needs and blood-glucose responses vary. Eat Against Resistance provides recipes and general nutrition information and isn't a substitute for individualized medical or professional nutrition advice.
Making insulin resistance easier, one meal at a time. 💚