Not only is this dish delicious, it qualifies as “comfort food” and is healthy. Plus you can make it with items you probably have in your freezer, fridge and pantry.
During the pandemic, I have been cooking everyday as opposed to eating out once a week. Not a big difference; the mental part of “you must stay at home” affects your psyche. After three months, cooking feels more “challenging” and I find myself inventing new recipes with whatever is in the house. Luckily (or not), The Man believes the day is coming “when all the chickens die” which means my pantry is always full, even overflowing. We have a stand-up freezer that is also full. So… when all the chickens die, we’ll still eat… at least for a few months… maybe not chicken.
I was digging around in my pantry for something to fix with the thawed chicken thighs in the fridge (always defrost/thaw meat in the fridge or under running cold water). I found cans of Cannellini and black beans, two beans I like to mix for contrasting color in dishes. The Man has tired of potatoes and pasta (my go-to fave) of late which adds an additional layer to my cooking challenge. I had chicken stock (which I make with bones from whole chickens… I sure hope the all the chickens never die…).
Enough messing around with my thoughts… here’s what I did…
Ingredients:
3 Boneless Chicken Thighs or Breasts (I prefer thighs, tastier)
1 Large Vidalia Onion or other Sweet Onion – Chopped
2 Celery Stalks – sliced or chopped
1 Bell Pepper (from my garden – this is one of the pepper plants that wintered successfully in my greenhouse) – 
chopped
1 Jalapeno (also from my garden) – chopped
32 – 48 ounces of chicken stock or broth
1 Can Black Beans – including liquid
1 Can Cannellini Beans – including liquid
2 Chicken Bouillon cubes
1 Bay leaf
Fresh herbs – Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley – all from my herb garden – chopped or removed from stem
Croutons:
1 Baguette – Sliced
Sarvecchio Parmesan – sliced
Fresh herbs – chopped
Preparation:
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces. Salt and pepper and dust with Wondra or flour (the flour will give the chicken a little extra crisp and help thicken the soup).
Heat EVOO in Dutch Oven or other stew pot on Medium/High heat. Make sure the pot is hot before adding the chicken. Quickly saute the chicken pieces to get a nice brown and crispy crust. Remove and keep warm. (The chicken will finish cooking in soup.)
If needed, add a little more EVOO and reduce heat to low/medium. Scrape up the “crunchies” on the bottom of the pan and add the onion, celery and peppers and cook until soft and the onion is translucent.
Add the broth, beans (with liquid in cans), Bay Leaf, fresh herbs and bouillon cubes and scrape up the crunchies again.
Return chicken to mixture and simmer on low for at least half hour with top on pot. If you want a thicker soup, use some of the soup broth and add a tablespoon of Wondra, mix well and return to pot. Simmer another half hour.
Croutons:
Top sliced Baguettes with Sarvecchio Parmesan and fresh herbs. Toast under broiler (maybe not as long as I did).
Serve with more fresh herbs on top and Parmesan croutons. (I sauteed the Jalapeno separately to top my portion, as The Man is a weenie when it comes to spicier foods.)
Next time I’ll add carrots as well. You can add veggies to your liking to make this even healthier and heartier.
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