Sunday Soup #122: The 30-Minute Best Creamy White Bean chicken Chili

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! As we go cruising into Christmas Week, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful... So, don't we deserve a soup to match? I think so!

My mother-in-law arrived Sunday, so I went looking for a soup I thought she'd like. I've made several white bean soups in the past, and some (like #22, #83, and #89) have been close to amazing, so I felt pretty good about this recipe. The pictures looked yummy, it seemed fairly easy to prepare, and (most importantly) everything in it agreed with everyone's palate. So, how did it come out?

This recipe came from: https://www.savorybitesrecipes.com/2019/11/creamy-white-bean-chicken-chili.html

*Pic 1 - https://www.savorybitesrecipes.com/2019/11/creamy-white-bean-chicken-chili.html

Variations from Recipe as Written: This recipe, as written, claimed to make only 3 servings(?!), and I was worried about having enough, so I tripled the recipe. Tripled, the recipe fed five people with enough leftovers for 3 or so more bowls. And, I used regular chicken broth (instead of low sodium or unsalted broth), but then did not add any salt to the pot.

General Thoughts: As I suspected, this recipe did turn out to be fairly easy to prep. But, this was one of those recipes that is a little "fuzzy" in places; meaning, rather than providing exact measurements or directions, it was sometimes vague or not very specific. As one example, a step tells the cook to add the green chilis and "sauté further." Really? "Further"? Does that mean 3 minutes or 15 minutes? I know, I know... a seasoned cook can roll with it, and it didn't cause me much trouble. But, it bugs me when a chef provides a recipe they created but doesn't share their vision for how it should be prepared. How do I know I am eating the version of the recipe the chef envisioned? But, I digress...

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

The soup was much brothier than I expected, which is not always a bad thing... But, I expected a chili to be a little thicker. There were definitely not enough beans, and I got more than a few spoonfuls out of my bowl with no beans at all. The texture was fine, overall, offering enough variety to be interesting, and the chicken was tender and flavorful. But, being that the chicken and beans were the only real bulk in this soup, it wasn't very hearty and left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

The taste was fine but, again, a little lacking. It did turn out fairly spicy; I used 2/3 mild green chilis and 1/3 hot green chilis, which, when combined with the prescribed amount of cayenne pepper, was perfect for me but overwhelmed my diners with a lower spice tolerance. Beyond that, it didn't really have any other flavors that stood out. It wasn't very salty, it didn't taste strongly of green chilis, and none of the other spices (e.g., oregano, cumin, etc.) really shone through. Despite calling for some lime juice to be added to the pot, and adding more via a lime wedge squeezed into my bowl, I still felt it lacked enough acidic bite to adequately cut through the cream and oil/fat.

Potential Improvements? If I make this one again, I need to cut the spice a little bit to appeal to the masses. I would double the lime juice to cut the cream and fat a bit more. And, I would definitely double the beans.

Polling the Fam: I found this one to be fine, but pretty unremarkable, overall. I would definitely eat it if someone served it to me, and I plan to eat the leftovers, but I'm not sure I'd ever look forward to it, and definitely not without the changes I suggested above. Hunter's opinion pretty much mirrored mine. It was a bit too spicy for Debby, and she thought it needed more beans, but she liked the texture. And, it was too spicy for Fox to eat more than a little bit, but he enjoyed the bread I served with it. :-)

Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)

Sunday Soup #121: Pasta e Fagioli

Happy holidays, my friends! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, anticipating a joyful holiday, and eating lots of soup!!

Last month (October), during our RV tour through some of the prettiest National Parks the Southwest has to offer, we were lucky enough to get to see our family friends, The Perrys, who had recently moved to north of Phoenix, AZ. Nicole was kind enough to make us dinner, which featured the best Pasta e Fagioli soup I have ever had, and I asked her for the recipe so I could share it with you. It always makes me a little nervous to make a dish that someone else served me that I really enjoyed because I worry that I won't be able to do it justice. But, Nicole assured me that the recipe was super solid, and she was sure I could make it taste just as good hers. Let's see how I did...

This recipe came from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-e-fagioli-recipe-1943219?_branch_match_id=863791368531524344

*Pic 1 - https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-e-fagioli-recipe-1943219?_branch_match_id=863791368531524344

Variations from Recipe as Written: I used an extra 1/2-cup of diced onions and an extra 2 ounces of pancetta, both because of the sizes that were available at the grocery store. I also used regular chicken broth, rather than low-sodium, because it was what I had on hand. That's it!

General Thoughts: This was one of those soups that was relatively inexpensive, which is always great if you are serving a crowd. To make it even more economical, subbing bacon for the pancetta would help your dollar go even further. And, the prep was fast and easy, which is always a plus... It took me longer to take snippings from my garden rosemary and thyme bushes and tie them up in a cheesecloth bundle with the other herbs than it did to prep anything else. Really! 

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

The soup came out brothy, which I really liked, but it didn't seem to have much bulk at first glance, which worried me a little. I mean, there were really only four ingredients to provide any substance: beans, macaroni, pancetta, and onion. However, despite its brothy appearance, the soup was still plenty hearty, with enough bulk to make my tummy feel warm and full. The texture of the beans wasn't exactly right, though, as they were just a little too firm and starchy for my liking. That could have been a result of the brand of kidney beans I used (or maybe they needed to be cooked longer?) because I don't remember the same texture issues when Nicole made it for us.

I really, really liked the taste of this one... It had a perfect amount of salt and pepper, and just the right amounts of garlic and crushed red pepper to give it a little bit of spice. Beyond that, the taste of fresh herbs suffused every bite and made it a joy to eat! Each of the herbs (rosemary, thyme, and bay) did its part and added its own unique, subtle flavor to the soup. And, finishing off each bowl with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil made it all the better.

Potential Improvements? I'd love to try two things with this one the next time I make it... First, I'd really enjoy some more meat (specifically, bacon), which I think would add to both the taste and flavor. Second, I'd like to try using a smaller, more delicate bean, like cannellini (or white) beans.

Polling the Fam: I really enjoyed this one and would definitely make it again (thank you for introducing me to it, Nicole!), especially with the improvements above. Becky was not as sold, saying it was okay and that she'd eat it again, but she had a texture issue with the kidney beans and the pasta together. Hunter, like me, really enjoyed it and said it had nothing in it he didn't like. And, Fox said... wait for it... it was "okay". *sigh*

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)