Spicy Chicken, White Bean and Kale Soup



I cannot express enough how utterly excited I am that hearty fall and winter soups can now be added into rotation in my kitchen.  Soup weather...stew weather... my favorite! I am all for a delicious and flavorful soup recipe and this is one of the easiest, yet tastiest I have ever made.  You simply dump, stir, sprinkle, stir and simmer... before long, you have an amazing pot of bubbly hot soup to be gobbled up with a big chunk of hearty bread.  Please be advised that my entire family licked our bowls CLEAN after having this soup over the weekend so I am pretty sure that you will have some cleanly licked bowls if you decide to make this recipe. And you totally should - it's just SO GOOD!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Pound Ground Chicken

1 Medium Onions, Chopped

2 Medium Carrots, Chopped

2 Stalks Celery, Chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped

4 Cups Kale, Finley Chopped

2 Heaping Tablespoons Ground Cumin

1 Tablespoons Italian Season

1 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic {or garlic powder}

1 Tablespoon Granulated Onion {or onion powder}

1 Teaspoon Chili Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper {or more if you like it extra hot!}

1 19 Ounce Can Cannellini Beans

1 14 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes

3 14 Ounce Cans Chicken Broth

1/2 Box Acini Di Pepe {or any other micro sized pasta}

Fresh Grated Parmesan to Garnish

Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper to Taste

{In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and ground chicken. Season with salt and pepper and begin to brown.}

{Stir in the chopped onion, celery and carrots and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften.}

{After a few minutes, add in the chopped garlic and mix well.  Season generously with salt and pepper.}

{Add in your chopped kale and mix well, sauté for a minute more.}

{Season the ground chicken and veggie mixture with the cumin, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and cayenne pepper.}

{Add in the beans, with the liquid in the can and diced tomatoes.}

{Add in the chicken broth.}

{Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes so that flavors develop and get good and delicious! Taste, taste and taste; season with salt and pepper if it needs it. Mine needed a hefty pinch of salt.}

{After about 15 minutes, add in half box of pasta and let it simmer for about 10 minutes more so that the pasta cooks. If you prefer a thicker soup, add in the entire box of pasta.  I wanted a more "soupy" or brothy soup so I only used half the box.}

{Once the pasta is cooked, it is ready to be served up.}

{I garnished each bowl with parmesan cheese and served the piping hot soup with pieces if crusty bread.  It was unbelievably delicious! Now that I think about it, could you imagine how insanely good this soup would be on a chilly evening with a golden brown, buttery grilled cheese sandwich? I HAVE to make that happen. }

Flavorful, hearty ...it's like a giant hug in a bowl. And I think I need another hug RIGHT NOW!

xoxo, thanks for reading!