fitfool

Back in March of 2006, I tasted a wonderful soup at Whole Foods that I think they had called White Lightning Soup that had chicken and white beans in it. Filling, comforting. So then a few months later, (7/25/06) I tried to recreate it when I was cleaning out a bunch of stuff in the fridge. This was pretty tasty but it wasn't the amazing soup at Whole Foods. Anyone have that recipe? This took about 1 hour of prep work and then 2 hours of simmering. Go watch a movie while you wait for this to finish.

Chicken and White Bean Soup
4 cups Great Northern White beans (about 8 oz dried beans, or maybe 2 15-oz cans of white beans?)
1 medium to large onion (chopped)
1 cup chopped leeks
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, chopped
about 3 cups torn kale leaves
1 to 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
flour for dredging
2 quarts water

The night before: If using dried beans, cover with water about an inch above the beans and let soak overnight (or 8 hours).
Chop garlic cloves and set aside
Chop leeks and onion, mix together and set aside.
Chop carrots and celery, mix together and set aside.
Cut chicken into 1-inch, bite-size pieces.
Put flour in a shallow bowl. Lightly coat the chicken pieces with flour by dredging them in the flour.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sear the chicken pieces on all sides and set the chicken aside. (may need to do the chicken in 2 batches so you don't overcrowd the pot)
In same pot, saute leeks and onions for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned.
Add garlic and stir for another minute.
Add the chicken, celery, carrots, beans, oregano, cumin, and water.
Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let simmer until beans are tender (about 2 hours for dried beans, maybe 30 minutes for canned beans). Should get a rich chicken broth from all the simmering.
For last 10 minutes of simmering, toss in the 3 cups of torn kale leaves.