Most chicken soup is mostly broth. Loading in shredded chicken breast and a can of cannellini beans pushes this one to 39g of protein per serving without changing how light it tastes.
It is a 30-minute pot start to finish, and it reheats well enough to be four lunches instead of one dinner.
Poach the chicken breasts whole in the broth and shred them after. Cubing raw chicken and boiling it is the fastest way to end up with dry, rubbery pieces.
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Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 6-7 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika and cook 1 more minute.
Add the chicken breasts and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return it to the pot along with the cannellini beans and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the kale and cook 2 minutes until wilted. Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve topped with parsley.
A serving delivers about 39g of protein from the combination of chicken breast and cannellini beans. The beans also thicken the broth slightly, so you get more body without adding cream or flour.
Yes. Skip the poaching step, use 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken, and simmer it with the broth and beans for 5 minutes. That cuts the total time to about 20 minutes.
Poaching whole breasts in the broth keeps them from overcooking and drying out, and it flavors the broth as they cook. Shredding afterward also gives a better texture in soup than pre-cut cubes.
It keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes well for 3 months. If freezing, leave the greens out and stir them in fresh when you reheat, since kale and spinach turn mushy after a freeze-thaw.