Brown the chicken: Place the chicken breasts (2 boneless skinless) on a plate or cutting board. Pat dry if they’ve been sitting in liquid, then season both sides liberally with about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Gently swirl the pan so the oil coats the bottom. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken breasts to the pot. Sear the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Once sufficiently browned, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. It will not yet be fully cooked at this point.

Cook the veggies: Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pan. Add the sliced leek (1 small, thinly sliced), carrots (2, peeled and diced), celery (3 stalks, diced) and onion (1 small, diced), plus a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the veggies have softened, for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic (4 cloves, minced) and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.

Simmer the soup: Add a small amount of broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot if needed, then add all remaining chicken broth (6 cups) to the pot. Add the beans (2 cans, drained), Italian seasoning (1/2 tablespoon), and return the browned chicken breasts to the pot. Let the soup come to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F. For thicker or larger chicken breasts, let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Cut chicken and season soup: Carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken against the grain into thin slices, then cut the slices into small pieces. I prefer tiny pieces of chicken in my soup! Return the cut chicken to the soup pot. Add half the lemon juice and another generous pinch of salt. Stir and taste to see if needs additional salt or lemon juice. Add more lemon juice if you can’t taste the lemon, and add more salt if it needs a bit more depth.

Serve and store: Serve the soup with chopped parsley, Saltine crackers, and lemon wedges if you prefer. Save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.