Easy Chicken and White Bean Soup (Slow Cooker or Stovetop!)

This chicken and white bean soup, with a Mexican-inspired spin, is deeply satisfying and made with everyday ingredients you likely already have on hand. It's filled with tender chicken, creamy white beans, and vegetables, then finished with fresh toppings like avocado, cilantro, and lime. Make it on the stovetop for an easy weeknight dinner, or let it simmer gently in the slow cooker.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Chicken: Shredded rotisserie chicken keeps this soup easy and flavorful, but leftover cooked chicken or turkey works just as well. You'll need about 3 to 4 cups of meat.
• White beans: Cannellini or navy beans give the soup its creamy body and help naturally thicken the broth as it simmers.
• Veggies: A slew of vegetables, including onion, celery, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, and garlic, give this soup its richness.
• Ground cumin: Cumin provides earthy warmth and gives the soup its Mexican-inspired character.
• Dried oregano: Oregano adds herbal depth that complements the cumin without dominating the soup.
• Canned green chiles: Green chiles contribute gentle heat and tang, adding flavor rather than spice.
• Chicken broth: Low-sodium chicken broth creates a savory base while giving you full control over seasoning.
• Olive oil: Olive oil helps soften the vegetables and bloom the spices, building flavor from the very first step.
• Salt and pepper: Season to taste, especially at the end, since the beans absorb flavor as the soup rests.

How to Make Chicken and White Bean Soup

This chicken and white bean soup can be made either in a slow cooker or on the stovetop, depending on how much hands-on time you have. It's adapted from my mom's recipe, one she's made for everything from casual weeknight dinners to game days and family gatherings. The result is a soup that feels comforting and substantial, with a broth that stays light but deeply flavorful.

Step 1: First, quickly sauté the vegetables on the stovetop or you can cook them in the microwave. This helps the vegetables turn fully tender before they go into the soup.

Step 2: Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker (or leave them in the pot), and add shredded rotisserie chicken, canned white beans, canned green chiles, and chicken broth.

Step 3: Simmer the soup until vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded (4-5 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high in a slow cooker, or 45 minutes-1 hour in a pot).

*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!

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Easy Chicken and White Bean Soup (Slow Cooker or Stovetop!)

By Nicki Sizemore

This is an ultra nourishing soup that's always a crowd pleaser. It's healthy and warming yet revitalizing, perfect for blustery days, game days, or anytime you need a little lift-me-up. The soup can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove top (I've included instructions for both). If you use a slow cooker, cook the vegetables first on the stovetop or in the microwave before adding them to the slow cooker (otherwise they won't completely soften in the soup). If you want to get a jumpstart on the recipe, chop (and even cook!) the vegetables the day before-check out the tips below. The toppings make this soup, so don't skimp!

Servings: 6 people

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 3 hours hrs

Total Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium poblano pepper (or mild green pepper, such as bell or Anaheim), diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

Slow cooker

• 1 4- ounce can diced green chiles
• 3 15- ounce cans cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (skin and bones discarded, or you can save the bones for stock)
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

To serve

• Shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips and/or hot sauce

Instructions

Sauté (or microwave) the vegetables

• If you're using a slow cooker, first cook the vegetables on the stovetop or in the microwave. To microwave, combine all of the ingredients, including the olive oil, onion, celery, peppers, garlic, cumin and oregano in a large heatproof bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Microwave on high, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 6-8 minutes. Otherwise, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or large pot (use a pot if you're cooking the soup on the stovetop) over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. At this point you can either finish cooking the soup on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.

If cooking on the stovetop

• If cooking on the stovetop, add the can of green chiles, beans, chicken and broth to the pot with the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on how much time you have and/or how lazy you're feeling (this is a very forgiving soup), or until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.

If cooking in the slow cooker

• If using a slow cooker, scrape the vegetables into the slow cooker, and add the can of green chiles, beans, chicken and broth. Season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Finish and serve

• Taste the soup and season it with more salt and pepper as needed (the beans soak up flavor, so you may need more than you think!). To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, and serve it with the toppings of your choice.

Notes

Do Ahead:

• The soup tastes even better after a day or two, so go ahead and make it ahead! It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
• To get a jumpstart on this recipe, chop the vegetables and garlic the day before. You can go ahead and sauté them, or store them in the refrigerator overnight, so they're ready to go the next day.

Tips:

• You can cook this soup in a 4- to 7-quart slow cooker or in a large pot on the stove (I've included instructions for each in the recipe below).  
• Different slow cookers cook at different rates, so use the times as an approximation. I love my KitchenAid 6-quart oval slow cooker, which I use for everything from soups to braises to curries, meatballs and even brunch. If you use the slow cooker setting on an electric pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot), check the soup early, as those machines run hotter. 
• If your slow cooker has a sauté function, you can skip the stovetop step and cook the vegetables right in the slow cooker.
• I find it's easiest to shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken right when I get home from the market while the chicken is still warm. You can shred the meat and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before making the soup. You can also chop the vegetables (and even sauté them) the day before, if you want to get a jumpstart on the recipe. 
• Feel free to swap out the rotisserie chicken with leftover cooked chicken or turkey. You'll need 3-4 cups of shredded meat.

Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken white bean soup, mexican chicken soup, slow cooker chicken white bean soup