Chicken and White Bean Soup

Soup season is not winding down here. Just before the weekend we had a typical spring blizzard here in Minnesota. Much of the snow that had melted has now been replenished. If this was in the beginning of December I would have thought it was beautiful, and cozy to stay inside, but at this point it was just depressing. I want spring! On the positive side it was the perfect weather for soup, and the Chicken and White Bean Soup featured in the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine looked very delicious and was the perfect comfort food while we wait for warmer days. I made a recipe and a half to accomodate for my family of six. That made for a slightly thicker soup and it was lighter in color than the picture in the magazine. But it was still a delicious soup that we all enjoyed, especially my husband who loves the darker meat of the chicken. I served Buttermilk cheddar biscuits along side (recipe to come).

Chicken and White Bean soup

2 smoked bacon slices, chopped
12 ounzes skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chopped plum tomato

2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups water

2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoonchopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook bacon in a large sauce pan over medium heat until crisp (8-10 minutes).Remove from pan, reserving drippings in pan; set bacon aside.
Add chicken to drippings in pan; saute 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomato, oregano and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return bacon and chicken to pan. Stir in 2 cups water and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Add orzo, and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. Add beans; cook 2 minutes or until heated. Remove from heeat, stir in parsley, vinegar and salt.

Serves 4

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2011