Description
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup is a comforting, hearty soup featuring tender chicken thighs, small pasta shells, and a rich, creamy broth infused with parmesan, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes. Perfect for a cozy meal, this soup combines Italian-inspired flavors with easy stovetop cooking for a satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 500 g chicken thighs, skinless boneless
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Soup Base
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (30 g)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large celery stems, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine (optional)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz small pasta shells (250 g)
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 packed cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomato strips, chopped into 1 cm pieces plus a bit of oil for drizzling
Thickener
- 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat until foamy. Add chicken and cook the first side for 3 minutes until light golden, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes. It’s okay if the inside is still raw as it will cook more later. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Prepare Soup Base: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, onion, and celery to the same pot and cook for 3 minutes until the onion softens.
- Deglaze Pot: Increase heat to high and pour in the white wine. Stir and let the wine simmer until it reduces by half, enhancing the flavor.
- Add Broth and Pasta: Pour in chicken stock, water, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then add pasta shells. Cook according to pasta package directions, approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Finish Cooking Chicken: While the pasta cooks, chop the partially cooked chicken into 1.5 cm pieces and add them back into the pot to complete cooking.
- Complete Soup: Once pasta is cooked, lower heat to low. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted. Mix in the cornflour and water slurry, heavy cream, and chopped spinach. Stir for about one minute until the spinach wilts and the soup thickens slightly.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and top with sun dried tomato strips and a drizzle of the tomato oil for added flavor and a colorful finish.
Notes
- If using chicken breast, split each breast in half horizontally to make thinner pieces for even cooking.
- White wine adds extra depth to the broth; alternatively, use zero-alcohol white wine or replace half the water with extra chicken stock for a non-alcoholic option.
- You can substitute small pasta varieties such as ditalini, small macaroni, or orzo. For gluten-free options, use gluten-free pasta and increase thickener slightly to compensate.
- Store-bought sandy-type Parmesan melts well; avoid powdered or shelf-stable cheese substitutes.
- For a lighter soup, substitute heavy cream with 1 1/2 cups full-fat milk and reduce water by 1/2 cup; this reduces calories but results in a slightly different texture and color.
- Sun dried tomatoes provide signature Tuscan flavor and a pop of color instead of croutons or nuts.
- Store pasta separately from soup broth to prevent pasta from bloating when refrigerated. Both can be stored separately or even frozen for meal prep.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
