My husband recently tried fennel for the first time and ended up loving it! So, I did a search for soups that included our newly discovered vegetable. I came across this recipe from Real Simple and thought it sounded easy to make and healthy-ish. After reading their comments, I did modify this recipe slightly to make it even healthier and more flavorful.
ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large fennel bulb, thinly chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup dried white beans (such as cannellini or navy)
2 dried bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt & black pepper
1/2 cup ditalini, orzo, or another small pasta
fresh parsley (garnish)
directions
step 1 In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the broth, carrots, celery, fennel, onion, beans, bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the 2 chicken breasts (whole) and make sure they are covered completely with the broth. Cover and cook until the beans and vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
step 2 Twenty minutes before serving, transfer the chicken to a medium bowl; discard the bay leaves. If the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. Add the pasta, cover, and cook until tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
step 3 Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the chicken. When the pasta is cooked, stir the chicken into the soup. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
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