White Bean and Chicken Soup

Again, my meal plan forecasting is just not so accurate this week...I felt like some personal narrative writing today so if you are looking for just the recipe, scroll to Grocery List. If you would like my account of the last few days, continue reading.

So, Dallas has become a frozen tundra. We've been experiencing ice storms with temperatures in the single digits and teens. In all off my 26 years of being a native Dallasite, I do not recall this kind of weather in my personal history of ever. Therefore, I blame Jerry Jones and his past, present and future greed issues for deserving weather that will impede on his money-making Super Bowl game, as well as the Steelers and the Packers for bringing their normal winter weather to this city. Put simply: bad karma and contagious weather.

Starting around 4:43 am on Tuesday I woke up to the piercing and rather frightening sound of ice pelting my windows. Pelting is an understatement. Think of 20 kids with snowballs and their parent's key rings unleashing fury on glass, that is more like it. I kept trying to go back to sleep thinking "surely it will only last another 15 minutes..." - wrong. At 6:12 am I rolled over to check my phone for the time and had texts that the office was closed, well that woke me up! I was in school girl mode and ran out into my living room, pulled back my patio curtains to find an icy wonderland! To my discontent, as I looked outside I was also having bits of precipitation and numbing cold wind spit in my face from my doorway; that's always comforting, my doors are not sealed. I watched the news looking for other cancellations, would I have any friends to play with on this ICE DAY?! Except this one wasn't fun. At all. Bitter cold temperatures with wind chills I had never heard of in these parts and it was all ice. ICE. Therefore, I felt it best I just stay in bed alllll dayyyy lonnnng.

Unfortunately my 1 mile commute to work was at a disadvantage this time, I didn't have long stretches of treacherous roads to drive on, so into the office I've gone. But this morning I woke up to glorious snow fall. I stuck a ruler outside on the terrace and it's right around 6 inches, snow day it is! This is pure insanity, seriously I've heard more sirens around me the last 3 days than the 7 months I've lived here next to all of the hospitals.

Due to this cold weather, suddenly salmon and couscous just didn't do it for me and of course beef short ribs were still not at my store before Dallas froze over. I wanted rich and hearty, warm comfort food so via text messages Mr. Max conquered the ice-patched roads and we had the incredible Beef Goulash again Tuesday night. The stew was perfect, this time we could really appreciate it. I just finished left overs for lunch.

Being one of four people in the office Wednesday, my cubicle neighbor and I discussed our dramatic tales of the past 27 hours, then shared our delicious comfort meals from dinner the night before. Thank you arctic blast for providing me (via Jana) with this new recipe that I will now share with you!

Grocery List:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and divided
• 1 (16 oz) package frozen shoepeg white corn
• 2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chilis
• 3 tbsp. lime juice

Start by heating your crock pot and shredding your rotisserie chicken.


Next saute your chopped onion in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, then add your garlic and sautee for 2-3 more minutes.


Add your chicken pieces and onion mix to the crockpot, then stir in 2 cups of water, salt, cumin, chili powder, pepper and oregano.


Take 2 of your 3 cans of canneloni beans, rinse and drain them. Then take your immersion blender (or put in a regular blender) and puree.



Stir the bean puree, remaining can of rinsed beans, corn and the chilis into the crockpot. Cook for 2 hours or longer, stirring often. Add lime juice just before serving.