White Bean Soup With Chicken & Bacon

“Emeril Live” was a television program that aired on the Food Network from 1997 to 2007. It was hosted by chef Emeril Lagasse and was taped in front of a live studio audience in New York City. It was reminiscent of a late-night talk show as there was even music featuring Doc Gibbs and the Emeril Live band.

White beans, chicken and bacon make for a hearty main dish soup. Credit: Adobe Stock

Chef Lagasse would prepare a variety of cuisine on the program and he often had well-known chefs and other celebrities as guests. Some members of the audience often got to taste the food he prepared each episode. His catchphrases, such as “Kick it up a notch”, “Bam!” and “Pork fat rules” became quite famous.

My kids grew up watching “Emeril Live” with me. That show most likely was part of the inspiration for my son becoming a chef. I ended up collecting most of Emeril’s cookbooks and I have tried many of his recipes to much acclaim.

This white bean soup recipe is derived from a Portuguese-style white bean soup in the “Prime Time Emeril Cookbook”. I’ve tweaked it a little bit over the years but I still have to give the great chef credit for this one. I like to cook my own chicken for shredding or dicing and I typically use chicken thighs, although you can use breasts if you prefer, skinned and sauteed in oil and butter.

This is really more of a stew than a soup because it’s chock-full of chunky ingredients with less liquid than a typical soup. It’s also very hearty and makes a nice main dish served with hunks of cornbread or crackers alongside a simple green salad.

White Bean Soup with Chicken & Bacon

Makes at least 8 servings

1 pound dried white beans such as cannellini or great Northern, rinsed and picked over
½ pound bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound diced or shredded, skinless, boneless, cooked chicken
Salt, as desired
Ground black pepper, as desired
Olive oil, a few swirls
1-2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped yellow or white onions
½ cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced shallots, optional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
2 quarts chicken stock or chicken broth
1 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, optional, garnish
2 green onions, thinly sliced, optional, garnish

Put the beans into a large pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches and soak for at least 8 hours or overnight, then drain. For a quick soak, bring the beans and water to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain.

While the beans are soaking, prepare chicken. Pound skinless, boneless thighs or breasts to an even ½-inch thickness or thereabouts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a few swirls of olive oil and a tablespoon or two of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Once oil and butter are sizzling, add chicken. Brown evenly on one side before turning and browning evenly on the other side. Reduce heat, cover and continue to cook for several more minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Fry the bacon in a heavy medium stockpot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift onto paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften, about 1 minute.

Add the beans and chicken stock (or broth) to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in the cooked chicken and the reserved cooked bacon and heat through. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and sliced scallions as desired before serving.