My husband is always asking for a healthy, broth-forward soup. My reply is this squash, chicken, and cannellini bean soup. Since many of my recipes begin with a game of “what can I make with my CSA box this week,” it should come as no surprise that this soup evolved from a Two Dog Farms CSA box.
Kale has had a moment in food culture. What used to be available at grocery stores as a curly slightly wilted green, has now exploded onto the farmers market and farm-to-table menus in a variety of different forms. Kale Caesar salad, kale chips, kale pesto, and the list goes on. My first memory of enjoying kale was in a Portuguese soup made by my Uncle Frank. The mix of linguica sausage, beans, and kale was hearty and healthy. When lacinato kale, better known as dinosaur kale, appeared in my CSA box, I reminisced about this Portuguese soup my Uncle Frank made me 20 years ago on vacation in North Truro.
With linguica sausage not readily available in Mississippi, I set about assembling some ingredients from my weekly CSA box that might be suitable companions to the kale. The fennel and squash looked as if they had been plucked from the ground that morning. In my garden, the Italian oregano had seemingly taken on legs and was walking out of the confines of the raised bed. In my pantry, I had cannellini beans and black beans. The choice was obvious.
I had frozen pre-boiled hen meat in the freezer. Because I didn’t have 12 cups of hen broth in the freezer, I used a combination of hen and turkey broth (made from the leftover bones and skin from our Christmas turkey because why would you ever throw away those delicious turkey bones and bits of slightly burnt stuffing). The vegetable-laden broth was magical. We each had a bowl and wanted more. Luckily this soup can be made in the summer when the ingredients are the freshest and frozen. I am happy to report that this soup tastes just as good after being frozen as it does when piping hot.
Squash, Chicken, and Cannellini Bean Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20 cups 1x
Description
My husband is always asking for a healthy, broth-forward soup. My reply is this squash, chicken, and cannellini bean soup. 
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 fennel bulb, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 large garlic cloves, diced (about 2 Tbs)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 12 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
- 2 large squashes, diced (about 1 pound)
- 1 large head of kale or swiss chard
- 3 Tbs fresh italian oregano, chopped
- 2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and fennel and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, shredded chicken, bean, squash, kale, oregano, and parsley.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Farm to table, Soup, Healthy