Don't be chicken -- this one is delicious!

Before January ends, I want to offer two more soup recipes. This has been a fun challenge for me, and I have a great idea for February -- I'll reveal it tomorrow!

This soup is full of big pieces of chicken, lots of vegetables and some white beans for added protein and fiber. It's a relatively quick soup -- about 45 minutes from start to finish -- and again, it's very healthy. Here's hoping you enjoy it as much as I do!

This recipe is from the book "Saved by Soup," by Judith Barrett.

Chicken and white bean soup

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 rib celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1/4 lb. fresh fennel (about half a bulb), tall stalks and leaves discarded, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2 cups canned tomatoes, with their juices
3 cups defatted chicken or vegetable broth, preferably homemade
2 pinches red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) white beans (such as Great Northern, cannellini or navy)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, until the chicken pieces have turned white and are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set it aside.

Add the chopped vegetables to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until they begin to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and red pepper flakes, season with salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Partially cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the beans and chicken pieces, and cook until the soup is thick and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Serves 6.

Cook's notes: The author suggests finely chopping all the vegetables in a food processor. As I like my vegetables chunkier, I chop them by hand and give them a little more time before adding the chicken. I also tend to use less pepper flakes, but of course, that's all a matter of taste. For those who do not usually cook with fennel, I highly recommend it for this dish.