Description
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs, small pasta shells, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a rich Parmesan cream base. Perfect for a hearty lunch or dinner, it combines savory chicken stock, garlic, and wine with creamy textures and fresh greens for a deliciously satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 500 g chicken thighs, skinless boneless
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Soup
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large celery stems, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay), optional
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 250 g small pasta shells
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup thickened/heavy cream
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomato strips, chopped into 1 cm pieces with some oil dripping
Soup Thickener
- 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Cook outside of chicken: Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat until foamy. Place the chicken in and cook the first side for 3 minutes until lightly golden, then the other side for 2 minutes. The inside may still be raw. Remove the chicken onto a plate.
- Prepare soup flavor base: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, onion, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 3 minutes or until the onion softens.
- Deglaze the pot: Turn heat up to high and add the white wine. Stir and let it simmer until the wine reduces by half.
- Add broth and pasta: Pour in the chicken stock, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook according to the pasta package instructions (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add chicken partway: While pasta cooks, chop the chicken into 1.5 cm pieces and add them back into the pot to finish cooking through.
- Finish soup: When pasta is cooked, lower the heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Then add the cornflour slurry, cream, and chopped spinach. Stir for about a minute until the spinach wilts and the soup thickens slightly.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with sun-dried tomato strips and a drizzle of the tomato oil for a colorful and flavorful finish. Enjoy immediately.
- Store leftovers: For best results, separate the pasta and chicken from the soup broth before refrigerating to prevent sogginess. Reheat by scooping pasta and chicken with a slotted spoon into warmed broth. Can be frozen separately for longer storage.
Notes
- Chicken: For chicken breast, slice each breast in half horizontally into thin steaks to cook evenly.
- Wine: Using white wine adds depth of flavor, but you can substitute extra chicken stock if you prefer no alcohol.
- Pasta substitutions: Other small pasta shapes like ditalini, small macaroni, or orzo work well. Gluten-free pasta may require slightly more cornflour to thicken the soup.
- Potato or rice: Cubed potatoes cook in about 7 minutes; use 1 cup uncooked white rice (not brown) to substitute pasta, adjusting cooking time accordingly.
- Parmesan: Use quality refrigerated sandy-style Parmesan for best melting and flavor.
- Cream: Cream provides richness and color. Substitute with 1 1/2 cups full-fat milk plus a bit of butter if desired; reduce water by 1/2 cup.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Adds a punch of flavor and attractive color instead of croutons or nuts.
- Storage: Keep pasta and chicken separate from broth when storing leftovers to avoid sogginess. Both components freeze well if stored separately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 300 ml)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
