Description
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup is a comforting and flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken thighs, small pasta shells, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a rich creamy broth enriched with parmesan and cream. Perfect for a cozy meal, this soup combines savory herbs and a lovely creamy mouthfeel with a touch of zest from sun-dried tomatoes.
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 dry white wine (Chardonnay), optional
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz small pasta shells (250 g)
- 1 cup parmesan, finely grated
- 1 cup thickened/heavy cream
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomato strips, chopped into 1 cm pieces, plus some oil for drizzling
Soup Thickener
- 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken thighs. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once foamy, place chicken in the pot and cook the first side for 3 minutes until lightly golden, then cook the other side for 2 minutes. The inside may still be raw; it will cook more later. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.
- Make the soup base: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion softens.
- Deglaze the pot: Increase heat to high and add the white wine. Stir and let it simmer until the wine reduces by half.
- Add broth and pasta: Pour in chicken stock, water, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta shells. Cook following the pasta package directions, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Incorporate chicken: While the pasta cooks, chop the cooked chicken into 1.5 cm pieces and add them back into the pot to cook through with the pasta.
- Finish the soup: Once the pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low. Stir in the grated parmesan until melted. Add the cornflour slurry, heavy cream, and chopped baby spinach. Stir for about a minute until the spinach wilts and the soup slightly thickens.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped sun-dried tomato strips and a drizzle of the sun-dried tomato oil for an added burst of flavor and color.
Notes
- If using chicken breast instead of thighs, slice breasts horizontally to create thin pieces and cook as per recipe instructions.
- The white wine adds depth of flavor. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute half the water with extra chicken stock or use a zero-alcohol white wine.
- Other small pasta shapes (ditalini, small macaroni, orzo) or substitutes like rice or diced potato can be used; adjust cooking time accordingly. Increase cornflour slightly for gluten-free pasta or potato to help thicken the soup.
- Use good quality sandy-type parmesan and keep it refrigerated for best melting and flavor.
- Heavy cream adds richness and creamy texture; if substituting with milk, reduce water by 1/2 cup and use 1 1/2 cups full-fat milk, and consider adding a bit of butter for richness.
- Sun-dried tomato strips add a distinctive tangy flavor and attractive color. The oil they are packed in also enhances the finishing drizzle.
- For storing leftovers, separate pasta from the broth to prevent sogginess. Store both in the refrigerator or freeze separately for best results.
