Instructions

• Place the 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion, 1 cup chopped celery, and 4 cloves minced garlic in a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker. Drizzle 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over the top.
• Add 3/4 cup dry quinoa (see note below), 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary, and pour in the 4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth (7 cups). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Note: If you prefer firmer quinoa, do not add the quinoa in step 2; instead add it during the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2–4 hours or on LOW for 7–8 hours.
• If you omitted the quinoa in step 2 for a firmer texture, add the 3/4 cup dry quinoa to the slow cooker 30–60 minutes before the end of the total cooking time and continue cooking until that time elapses.
• When the main cooking time is finished, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
• While the chicken rests, add the drained and rinsed 15.5 oz can of Great Northern or Cannellini beans, 4 cups packed roughly chopped kale (discard thick ribs), 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice to the slow cooker. Stir to combine and season again with salt and pepper if needed.
• Cut or shred the rested chicken into bite-size pieces, return the chicken to the slow cooker, and stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on HIGH an additional 10–20 minutes, until the kale reaches your desired doneness (and any quinoa added late is fully cooked). Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve the soup warm, topped with finely shredded parmesan cheese.