Tuscan Chicken Soup (Print Version)
Chicken, spinach, and pasta float in a rich Tuscan-style soup that’s so comforting you’ll want seconds.
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
600–720 millilitres fresh spinach, loosely packed
02 -
50–100 grams grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
03 -
240 millilitres heavy whipping cream
04 -
170 grams Italian small pasta shells
05 -
1.5 litres chicken broth, plus more if it thickens up
06 -
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
07 -
32 grams plain flour
08 -
3 garlic cloves, minced
09 -
35 grams sundried tomatoes, diced
10 -
80 grams onions, diced
11 -
80 grams celery, diced
12 -
80 grams carrots, diced
13 -
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
14 -
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
15 -
680 grams boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, diced in chunky pieces
16 -
1 teaspoon olive oil
# Steps:
01 -
Before serving, check how it tastes and throw in more salt or any extra spices you want.
02 -
Take the lid off now. Mix in the heavy cream, spinach leaves, and all that Parmigiano Reggiano. Let it cook without the lid for around 5 minutes till the spinach is soft and it gets all creamy.
03 -
Turn up the heat till it bubbles a lot, then toss in the pasta shells, what’s left of the Italian seasoning, and however much salt and pepper sounds good. Put the lid on and simmer on low for 20 minutes, so the chicken gets soft and the pasta cooks just right.
04 -
Slowly pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom so nothing sticks and everything mixes nicely. No lumps wanted here.
05 -
Sprinkle the flour over your veggies bit by bit and stir to blend it all. Add tomato paste if you’re using it and mix again, so everything turns nice and thick.
06 -
Toss the onions, carrots, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, and minced garlic into the same pot. Stir ‘til they smell good and start going see-through, about 3 or 4 minutes.
07 -
Drizzle in olive oil and get it hot over medium-high in a big Dutch oven. Drop in the chicken chunks, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir until it’s browned everywhere, about 4 or 5 minutes.
# Notes:
01 -
Thicker soup? Just use 1.5 litres of broth. If you want it more soupy, add extra broth.
02 -
Tomato paste is only there for tangy flavor and color. Skip it if you’re after old-school creamy vibes.
03 -
If you make it ahead, try boiling the pasta on its own and stirring it in at the end, so it doesn’t get mushy.
04 -
No heavy cream? Swap in half and half, regular milk, or even coconut milk—it’ll be less rich but still tasty.
05 -
Hit the soup with extra water or more broth when you reheat so you get the right thickness.
06 -
Flour makes your soup thicker, but leave it out or swap in cream cheese if you want a different texture.
07 -
You can use leftover rotisserie chicken, just add it at the end so it warms up without overcooking.
08 -
Cooking slow? Throw in everything but the pasta, cream, spinach, and cheese. Let it go on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Cook the pasta alone, then stir it, cream, spinach, and cheese in at the finish.