Soups, Stews & Chili

Creamy Chicken Pesto Soup with White Beans

By Clara ·
November 1, 2026

The broth smells savory before the chicken is even cooked through, and the beans have a short, separate simmer instead of getting lost in the pot for half an hour. That timing is what I like about this creamy chicken pesto soup with white beans: it turns a Dutch oven of broth and vegetables into a filling soup without making the beans mushy or the chicken dry.

The chicken breasts cook whole in the seasoned broth, so they contribute flavor as they gently simmer. Then I stir in the cream, pesto, and spinach right at the end. The pesto stays bright, the spinach wilts quickly, and the finished soup is creamy without feeling heavy. It’s a straightforward one-pot dinner with tender chicken in every bowl.

Creamy Chicken Pesto Soup with White Beans, creamy hearty herb-flecked

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Kitchen Note

I set the chicken on a cutting board and cover it loosely while the beans simmer. That five-minute rest gives the meat a moment to settle, and the loose cover keeps it warm without trapping a lot of steam.

Save this creamy chicken pesto soup with white beans for a cozy one-pot dinner with tender chicken, creamy broth, and bright basil pesto.

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Why the Chicken Simmer Starts Before the Beans Go In

Canned cannellini beans are already tender, so giving them the full chicken-cooking time would be more likely to break them up than improve the soup. I cook the chicken breasts in the broth first, letting the onion, carrots, celery, and seasonings flavor the liquid as the chicken gently simmers. The beans join only after the chicken comes out of the pot, where they need just a brief simmer to warm through.

That order also keeps the soup’s textures distinct. The chicken shreds into soft strands, while the beans stay creamy inside and mostly whole. This is a broth-based soup, not a thick purée; the heavy cream makes the broth feel silky, and the pesto brings concentrated basil flavor. Keeping those roles separate gives you a creamy spoonful with tender vegetables, beans, and chicken rather than one uniform, overcooked mixture.

What the Pesto, Cream, and Beans Each Bring to the Pot

Creamy Chicken Pesto Soup with White Beans, tender chicken basil

Chicken breasts — Boneless, skinless breasts are easy to shred and cook directly in the broth. Choose pieces that are close in thickness so they finish at a similar pace; unusually thick ends take longer to cook through.
Cannellini beans — Their mild flavor lets the pesto and broth come through, and their creamy texture suits this soup better than a firm bean. Drain and rinse them before adding so the canning liquid doesn’t cloud the broth or add extra salt.
Basil pesto — Pesto supplies the fresh, herby character in one stir-in. A good-quality refrigerated or jarred pesto both work; the flavor and saltiness vary by brand, so taste the finished soup before adding anything beyond the listed seasoning.
Heavy cream — Its richness softens the pesto’s sharp, herbal edge and gives the broth a smooth finish. Milk is much thinner and is more likely to make the soup feel watery, so it isn’t a close stand-in here.
Baby spinach — Tender leaves wilt into the hot soup in just a few minutes without needing a separate cooking step. Pick leaves that look fresh and dry them well if you rinse them; extra water can dilute the broth.
Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic — These build the savory base before the broth goes in. Fresh garlic gives the clearest flavor, but there’s no need to seek out specialty vegetables for this foundational mix.

Building the Broth Before the Creamy Finish

Soften the vegetables without browning them

Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the diced onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. They should look glossy and tender, not browned around the edges. If the bottom of the pot starts to darken, lower the heat so the vegetables soften evenly before the broth goes in.

Give the garlic and seasoning a quick turn in the pot

Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds. Keep stirring so the garlic warms through without scorching; burnt garlic can make the broth bitter. Add the chicken breasts and low-sodium chicken broth, then bring the liquid to a gentle boil. A gentle boil means steady movement at the surface, not a hard, rolling churn.

Poach the chicken, then warm the beans

Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the thickest part of each chicken breast reaches 165°F. Lift the chicken out onto a cutting board and cover it loosely. Stir the drained, rinsed beans into the broth and let them simmer gently for 5 minutes while the chicken rests. Keep the simmer calm; a hard boil can break the beans and make the chicken tougher.

Shred and finish over gentle heat

Shred the chicken and return it to the pot, then stir in the heavy cream, pesto, and baby spinach. Heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the spinach wilts and the soup is steaming. Don’t let the soup boil after the cream and pesto go in; high heat can make the creamy broth look separated and dull the fresh pesto flavor. Once the leaves have collapsed into the soup, take the pot off the heat.

Simple Swaps That Keep the Soup Balanced

Use Great Northern beans for a slightly firmer bite

Swap in an equal amount of drained and rinsed canned Great Northern beans. They’re mild like cannellini beans but tend to hold their shape a little more, so the soup will have a firmer bean texture without changing its overall flavor.

Try sun-dried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto

Use the same amount of sun-dried tomato pesto for a deeper, tangier finish. It shifts the soup away from a fresh basil flavor, but still blends into the cream and broth smoothly; taste before adding extra salt because pesto brands differ.

Make a dairy-free version with coconut milk

Replace the heavy cream with an equal amount of unsweetened canned coconut milk, and choose a dairy-free basil pesto. The soup will still be creamy, though the coconut adds a mild sweetness and the pesto may taste less rich without cheese.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. The beans may absorb some broth, so the soup will be thicker after chilling.
Freezer: Freeze in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months for best quality. The cream may separate slightly and the spinach will soften after thawing, but stirring gently as it warms helps bring the soup back together.
Reheating: Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often until steaming throughout. Avoid bringing it to a boil, which can make the creamy broth separate.

Questions That Come Up While Making This Soup

Can I use cooked chicken instead of raw chicken breasts?+

Yes. Simmer the vegetables, seasonings, and broth as described, then add the drained beans and shredded cooked chicken together and warm them through before stirring in the cream, pesto, and spinach. The broth won’t get quite the same flavor from poaching the chicken in it, but this is a practical way to use cooked leftovers.

Can I use dried cannellini beans instead of canned?+

Not as a direct swap. Dried beans need to be soaked and cooked until tender separately; the brief simmer in this soup is only enough to warm canned beans, not cook dried ones. Add fully cooked dried beans at the same point you’d add the canned beans.

Can I use homemade pesto in this soup?+

Yes, homemade basil pesto works in the same way as prepared pesto. Stir it in at the end with the cream and spinach, and taste before adding any extra salt since homemade versions can vary in seasoning.

How do I keep the carrots and celery from getting too soft?+

Cut the carrots and celery into similarly sized pieces and keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. They’ll soften as the chicken cooks, but steady, moderate heat helps them keep some shape in the finished soup.

Can I chop the vegetables ahead of time?+

Yes. Dice the onion and chop the carrots and celery ahead, then keep them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. Mince the garlic, drain and rinse the beans, and measure the pesto and seasonings while the vegetables soften to keep the cooking moving.