Tuscan-style chicken and white bean soup

Mmmm, is there anything better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold day? I love a good, hearty Italian soup, and when you use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and canned beans, it is an easy weeknight meal that is sure to please!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 bay leaf
2 quarts unsalted or reduced-sodium chicken stock (I love Kitchen Basics brand!)
1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat pulled from bone and shredded/diced

1 can small-dice tomatoes
2 cups chopped kale (or spinach)
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
grated Parmesan cheese (NOT the canned snowy stuff), for serving

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and carrots are beginning to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning, stir, and cook one minute more. Stir in chicken stock, kale and can of tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place half of beans in a shallow bowl and mash with a potato masher until smooth, reserving other half of beans. Stir mashed beans into soup until well incorporated. Dump whole beans into soup, stir, and reduce heat to lowest setting and cook 1-2 minutes, or until beans are heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the top, and serve with a loaf of crusty french bread and a glass of wine. YUM!

Time-saving tip: This soup is ready in 30 minutes or less as written, but if you want to cut your prep time down even more, look in the frozen foods section for bags of pre-cut soup veggies. There are often different mixes that will have pre-chopped carrots, onion and celery. Buy the jars of pre-minced garlic (in your produce section) and just shred the spinach or kale by hand, and you have a meal with no chopping required!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 179.7
Total Fat: 5.3 g
Cholesterol: 11.5 mg
Sodium: 497.8 mg
Total Carbs: 19.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.8 g
Protein: 14.9 g