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This lemon chicken white bean soup recipe is light, healthy, and flavorful! It has pasta, veggies, beans, and plenty of tender chicken in a bright lemony broth.
I think you will also enjoy my Chicken Pot Pie Soup or this Italian Sausage Orzo Soup next for more easy, cozy comfort food.
Why you’ll love it
This soup was inspired by my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. I love a lemon broth in soups, and it adds something so special and bright to chicken soup in particular! White beans make it hearty and filling, and this soup has plenty of vegetables like spinach and carrots.
Since we’re using leftover/already cooked chicken and pantry ingredients in this soup, that makes it extra hassle free. It comes together in under 40 minutes, so this white bean chicken soup works great for a weeknight dinner. No fancy ingredients needed here.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Celery, carrots, onion, garlic – a tasty base to any soup. I like sweet (Vidalia) onions here.
- Flour – it helps to make the broth a little more substantial (along with the starch released from the pasta).
- Chicken broth – for savory depth
- Italian seasoning – I use this tasty blend of dried herbs in so many recipes!
- Beans – we’re using white (cannellini) beans
- Pasta – I love a smaller shape here like macaroni or even ditalini
- Chicken – for convenience we’re using rotisserie or leftover Baked Chicken
- Lemon – you can add more lemon juice than suggested or even zest a whole lemon into the soup
- Spinach – for a pop of freshness
Helpful tip
- You can swap the macaroni for a different pasta if you like. I prefer the small, shorter shapes for this recipe. Orzo would work too. I didn’t include a ton of pasta, so you can definitely add a cup or more if you want a heartier soup, but you may then need to add a bit more broth (especially when reheating leftovers). Or you could double the beans and leave the pasta out altogether!
How to make lemon chicken white bean soup
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a soup pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then stir in the flour. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring so the flour dissolves.
- Add the Italian seasoning, beans, and pasta. Bring to a boil. Stir, cover with the lid slightly ajar, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Add the chicken, lemon juice, and spinach. Cook until it’s heated through. Season with salt & pepper as desired.
Substitutions and variations
- Rosemary (fresh or dried) would work well in this soup if you want a more herby flavor. If you happen to have some fresh herbs, you can definitely throw ’em in.
- This soup is pretty forgiving, so feel free to use up whatever veggies you happen to have on hand.
- If you are sensitive to salt, use low sodium chicken broth.
What to serve with this soup
- This chicken and white bean soup is a great meal in itself, so just round it out with a slice of fresh crusty bread, a dinner roll, or go all out with a slice of Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- For a salad, I recommend this simple Parmesan Arugula Salad, or make a salad with my Homemade Italian Dressing. It’s so tasty!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the cutting board I use to chop up the veggies.
- I like using this Le Creuset Dutch oven for making soups, but this Amazon Basics Dutch oven is an inexpensive, quality alternative!
- Don’t have a sturdy ladle you love yet? Try this OXO ladle.
Leftovers and storage
- The pasta in this soup will soak up the broth. Add extra chicken broth to leftovers as needed. If you’re planning on freezing/not eating the bulk, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it just prior to serving.
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through.
If you made this lemon chicken white bean soup, leave a star rating and review below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations as well.
Lemon Chicken White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 sticks celery chopped small
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 (15 fluid ounce) can white beans drained
- 3/4 cup uncooked macaroni or ditalini pasta
- 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more, to taste)
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil, celery, onion, and carrots to a soup pot and sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring so the flour dissolves.
- Add in the Italian seasoning, white beans, and pasta. Turn the heat up to high and let the soup come to a boil.
- Give it a stir, and then cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes (stir it a couple of times to ensure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot as it cooks).
- Add in the chicken, lemon juice (I add 2+ tablespoons since I like it very lemony), and spinach. Cook for another few minutes until it's heated thorough and the spinach has wilted. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- Leftovers will soak up the broth, so you may need to add more chicken broth when reheating.
- Sensitive to salt? Use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This soup was easy, fast and delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re very welcome, Pam! Glad you liked it! 🙂
I just made this today, as I was feeling in need of a light meal after going on vacation. It’s such a wonderful twist on the classic chicken noodle soup.
Will definitely make this again for friends and family!
That’s great to hear, Lina!! Hope your friends and family enjoy it too 🙂
I have really enjoyed this soup! Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Absolutely loved this soup! It’s easy to make and the lemon makes it a delicious summer soup. My husband has asked that this become a regular dish and our kids both had two helpings. Definitely a must try!
I’m so pleased to hear that, Christa!! Thanks for your kind review. 😀
This was my first time making one of your recipes and it turned out pretty good! A nice soup that is really flexible to whatever you may have on hand. I poached my chicken in chicken broth with some bay leaves, garlic, lemon juice, and peppercorns and then used that poaching liquid in the soup. Really lovely. Next time I may add a bit of grated parmesan on top for a little extra flavor boost.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Faith!! 🙂 Love the parmesan idea. I do that too. And the poaching liquid sounds delicious.
With a little more lemon juice this soup would have been a solid 5 stars. I’m adding more lemon flavor to the leftover soup and already looking forward to having it again. This one is a must try.
I’m glad you liked it! Yes… cooking is all about tweaking recipes to your personal preferences. That’s why I have the note in there that I add 2+ tablespoons myself. I make the base recipe so that those who prefer a more lemony flavor can easily add more. 🙂
I made this last night and It was absolutely delicious. Thank you for a great recipe that I will make again and again!
Wonderful to hear that! 🙂
I made this and it was delicious! I left out the pasta because we’re cutting back on carbs but still added the white beans. I used a Tuscan seasoned chicken broth from Target. So glad I found your recipe!
So glad you were able to tweak it 🙂
I made this soup for dinner lastnight, I used orzo instead of macaroni. It is so good. I love the lemon in it. I think I’ll try a little fresh dill next time. Its only me so I always have leftovers, definitely need extra broth for reheating.
This recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Love the dill idea too!
Great thought on the dill!! I’m always looking for ways to use the dill in my garden!!
I made this tonight. I used up the turkey from Christmas from the freezer. Also used the frozen leaf spinach in a bag that I had. This is what makes me keep coming back to your recipes. Everything pantry ready. It was delicious. I always use Better Than Boullion Roasted Chicken for the broth and it never fails me. Used macaroni pasta as I had this too on hand. Side salad and good to go for chilly New Hampshire Sunday dinner.
Yummy in our tummies Natasha! TY 🤗
That makes me so happy!! I definitely try to use accessible ingredients. So glad you enjoyed it, Adele. Thanks for commenting! XO