Italian Chicken Soup

By kristiezac

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 3 * 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 * 1 onion, diced
• 3 * 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 * 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 * 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 * 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 * 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 * 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 * 1/2 cup packed basil leaves, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 * 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 * 1 bay leaf
• 2 * 2 large chicken breasts with skin and bones (about 1.75 lbs.)
• 2 1/2 * 2 1/2 cups frozen Italian green beans, thawed
• 1 * 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed/drained or cook your own, 2/3 cup dried

Preparation

Step 1

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, basil, tomato paste and bay leaf. Add the chicken and press down to submerge. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, turning the chicken over and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the thawed Italian green beans and the cannellini beans and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken and let cool for 10 minutes. Discard the skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Return the meat to the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes until warmed through. Remove bay leaf. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.