Chicken and Bean Soup

With the recent temperature drop, combined with holes in our roof waiting on new skylights to be installed, it has been chilly in our house.  To combat this, we have had a lot of soup.  This soup is not quick, but it is well worth the wait.  If you are short on time, you could add canned northern beans.  If you do not have cooked chicken, buy a bone in chicken breast, put it on top of the bean pan, add more water until the chicken is covered and simmer it with the beans.

  1 Cup Dry Northern Beans                                 1/2 Tsp Rosemary, Crushed

  8 Cups Water                                                     1/2 Tsp Salt

  1 Tbl Leek, Minced                                            1/4 Tsp Pepper

  3/4 Cup Fennel, Diced                                        4 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock

  1 Cup Carrots, Chopped                                     2 1/2 Cups Chicken, Cooked

  1 Tbl Garlic, Minced                                          14.5 Ounce Petite Diced Tomatoes

Rinse beans and drain.  Put into a large saucepan with 8 cups water.  Bring to a boil reduce heat.  Simmer for at least an hour and a half. 

After an hour, begin preparing the leek, fennel, carrots, etc.  Put all ingredients into another pot with the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Drain the beans and add to this pot.  Add the chicken.  Simmer until the beans are as soft as you would like them.