This one-pot chicken and cabbage soup is topped with flavor-boosting store-bought pesto. Big, fiber-rich butter beans add a creamy bite, but you can easily swap them out for cannellini beans or navy beans if you prefer.
This soup works well with leftover chicken, too. Simply shred or chop cooked chicken and add it to the soup to reheat once the cabbage is tender.
Chicken and Cabbage Soup with Pesto
Serves 6
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil- 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
- 4 cups chopped green cabbage
- 1 cup sliced leek
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 6 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added butter beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons pesto
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrot; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage and leek; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, beans and salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in chicken. Simmer, covered, until the cabbage is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 F, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Ladle into six bowls; top each with 1 tablespoon pesto.
Recipe nutrition per serving: 333 Calories, Total Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 69 mg, Carbohydrates: 20 g, Fiber: 6 g, Total Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 32 g, Sodium: 569 mg, Potassium: 764 mg, Phosphorus: 317 mg, Iron: 3 mg, Folate: 78 mcg, Calcium: 114 mg, Vitamin A: 5516 IU, Vitamin C: 23 mg, Vitamin D: 4 IU.
EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.
©2026 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
More delicious and easy soup recipes to keep you warm:
Chicken and Lemongrass Soup with Spinach
