Chicken and white bean soup

'Tis the season for snow...and soup! Tennessee has gotten about 4 inches of snow the past few days, which is quite unusual for us. Therefore, it's a good opportunity for a comforting, hot soup. This is more of an experimental throw-everything-in-a-pot meal, but after simmering for an hour, the flavors came together for a really nice, balanced flavor.

I added bacon and cheese on top to give it a little more fattiness, because the beans, chicken, and broccoli all have little fat. My husband and I both had a big bowl, and there was definitely a full serving left over.

One thing I didn't have on hand that I wish I did was some nice crusty bread for dipping.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded chicken
1 can great northern white beans
3 cups chicken broth
Florets of 1 broccoli head
5 strips bacon
2 tbsp corn starch, mixed with 1/4 cup water
Cheese for garnish
Freshly cracked black pepper

1. Stir chicken, broccoli, white beans, and 3 strips of bacon (shredded) into the broth. Bring to a boil and add corn starch/water mixture. Let simmer for at least an hour.

2. Garnish w/ remaining bacon, cheese and pepper.