I’m so excited to share my Tuscan Chicken Soup recipe with you! This is a creamy, cozy soup with tender chicken, small pasta, wilted spinach, and bright sun dried tomato. It tastes like a warm hug and comes together fast in one pot.
Level: Easy
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
I made this Tuscan Chicken Soup because I wanted all the flavors of a creamy Tuscan pasta but in a quicker, spoonable form. The base is a lightly creamy broth built from butter, white wine, chicken stock, and parmesan. Tiny pasta shells and spinach add body and color. A final scatter of chopped sun dried tomato gives a salty, chewy contrast that I love.
This recipe works with chicken thighs or chicken breast and is easy to adapt. If you want to save time, use cooked chicken and add it near the end. I will explain each step in plain language so the soup turns out great even if you are new to cooking.
How to Make Tuscan Chicken Soup
What we will do:
• Brown the chicken briefly to add flavor.
• Sauté onion, garlic, and celery for the flavor base.
• Deglaze with a splash of white wine to lift the browned bits from the pot.
• Add stock and small pasta and cook until tender.
• Stir in parmesan, a cornflour or cornstarch slurry to thicken slightly, then cream and spinach.
• Finish with chopped sun dried tomato and serve.
Ingredients
• 1 lb (about 500 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large celery stalks, finely sliced (or 2 carrots if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional (or replace with 1/2 cup extra chicken stock)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 oz (about 250 g) small pasta shells or ditalini
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, packed
• 1 cup heavy cream or thickened cream (or substitute with 1 1/2 cups whole milk, see notes)
• 2 packed cups baby spinach, chopped (or kale)
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomato strips, chopped plus a little of the oil for drizzling if packed in oil
Soup thickener:
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
Directions
- Season the chicken: Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. When foaming, add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes on the first side until light golden, then 2 minutes on the second side. The chicken can still be slightly undercooked. Remove to a plate and let rest a few minutes.
- Build the flavor base: Turn the heat to medium low. Add the onion, garlic, and celery to the same pot and cook 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Deglaze with wine: Turn heat to high, pour in the wine and simmer until it reduces by about half. Use a spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot into the liquid. If not using wine, add an extra 1/2 cup stock instead.
- Add liquids and pasta: Pour in the chicken stock, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook following the time on the pasta package, usually around 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so the pasta does not stick.
- Chop and return chicken: While the pasta cooks, chop the seared chicken into small bite sized pieces and add them into the pot about halfway through the pasta cooking time so the chicken finishes cooking in the broth.
- Finish the soup: When the pasta is tender, reduce heat to low. Stir in the grated parmesan until melted. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir for about 1 minute until the soup thickens slightly. Stir in the cream and chopped spinach and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls, scatter the chopped sun dried tomato on top and drizzle a little of the sun dried tomato oil if you like. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then serve warm.
Process Details
• Searing the chicken: Browning puts flavor into the pot and gives the chicken more color. It also leaves behind tasty bits that the wine and stock will dissolve into the broth.
• Deglazing: When you add wine or stock to the hot pot, it lifts the browned bits from the bottom that hold a lot of flavor. Scraping these into the liquid makes the broth taste richer.
• Pasta and thickening: The pasta releases starch as it cooks which helps thicken the soup a little. The small cornstarch slurry gives a glossy, slightly thicker finish without making the soup heavy.
• Finishing with cheese and cream: Parmesan melts into the hot broth and adds salty, savory depth. The cream softens the flavor and makes the soup silky. Add cream at the end so it does not separate.
Tips for Success
• Use small pasta so each spoonful has pasta and broth together.
• If you use chicken breast, slice each breast thinly so it cooks quickly when searing.
• If you need to avoid alcohol, skip the wine and use the extra stock noted in the ingredients.
• To prevent overcooked pasta in leftovers, remove cooked pasta with a slotted spoon before storing and keep pasta and broth separate in the fridge. Reheat broth then add pasta to serve.
• For a lighter finish, replace heavy cream with whole milk and add an extra tablespoon of butter for richness.
Serving Ideas
• Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread for dipping.
• Add a simple salad of greens and lemon vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
• Top each bowl with extra grated parmesan and a crack of black pepper.
Storage & Freezing
• Refrigerator: Cool the soup to room temperature. Store broth and cooked pasta separately in airtight containers for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat broth gently then add pasta and chicken.
• Freezing: The broth freezes well but cream and pasta change texture after freezing. For best results freeze only the broth and cooked chicken, then add freshly cooked pasta and cream when reheating. Use within 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition Info (Approximate per Serving)
• Calories: ~680 kcal
• Protein: ~39 g
• Carbohydrates: ~54 g
• Fat: ~34 g
• Saturated Fat: ~19 g
• Sodium: depends on stock and added salt
• Fiber: ~3 g
This Tuscan Chicken Soup gives you the warm, creamy taste of Tuscan style food without a big time commitment. I love the way the spinach brightens up the bowl and how sun dried tomato adds a pop of flavor with each bite. It is easy to make in one pot and forgiving to swap ingredients. I hope you enjoy making it and that it becomes one of your quick comfort meals.
