Chicken Basil Bean Stuff

Here's a recipe for a quick simple Italianish chicken soupy thing I make once in a while.

It doesn't have a name. I call it "chicken basil bean stuff". I think I got like half of it from a David Rosengarten cooking show I was half-watching, one day, long, long ago.

  • Two boneless skinless chicken breast halves.
  • 2 cups of lo-so chicken broth
  • Can of cannellini (white kidney) beans. Drained. Pinto or navy beans work, too - beans are beans. Hell, even chickpeas work here.
  • 3 fresh Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (a can of chopped tomatoes, drained, would probably work, too)
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • Clove of garlic, minced
  • Lots of fresh black pepper
  • Fresh basil. Ten leaves or so.
  • Tablespoon of grated Parmesan
  • Olive oil for sauteing
  • Fresh spinach, chard, etc.. (optional)
  • Cooked small pasta like acini de pepe or orzo (optional)

Heat some oil (2 tbsp?) in a big saute pan. Add onion, garlic, tomato. Saute on medium heat until the onions get soft and the tomatoes start to break down. Don't let anything stick or burn. Probably five minutes. Turn the heat down to simmer. Add the stock, stir it all up. Add the beans. Chiffonade half the basil and throw it in. Add a good dose of black pepper (1/2 tsp or so). Let that just simmer for 20 minutes or so. I want those onions to get nice and soft - I hate crunchy onions.

While that simmers, salt and pepper, and then grill the chicken. Be sure to get lots of nice dark grill marks. I use a grill pan, on the stove. Once cooked, set aside.

Once the soup has a nice... soupy look to it, chiffonade the rest of the basil. Add it and the Parmesan to the soup. Stir it all up, give it all another minute or two on the heat. Add water if there's not enough liquid. Taste it; add salt / pepper if needed.

Slice the grilled chicken into bit-sized pieces.

The optionals: In each of your bowls, add a couple of spoonfuls of pasta and a small bunch of spinach.

Soup goes into the bowl. Chicken goes on top. Put more Parmesan on top, if that's your thing. It's not my thing, but it's what Mrs likes to do.

Anyway. It's dead easy, and smells awesome: none can resist the smell of sauteed onion, garlic and tomato. Then the basil gets involved. Then the grilled chicken. Then more basil! Then Parmesan! Then someone will open wine!