Description
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup is a rich and comforting one-pot meal featuring tender chicken thighs, small pasta shells, and a velvety broth infused with garlic, onions, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. Finished with Parmesan cheese and cream, this soup captures Tuscan-inspired flavors in a quick and easy dish perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 500 g/1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs (Note 1: can substitute chicken breast)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 30 g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large celery stems, finely sliced (or substitute 2 carrots)
- 2 packed cups baby spinach (or chopped kale or similar)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato strips, chopped into 1 cm pieces, plus a bit of oil for drizzling
Liquids & Broth
- 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (optional)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
- 3 cups water
Seasonings & Starch
- 1 tsp cooking or kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 250 g / 8 oz small pasta shells (or other small pasta, rice, or potato as substitute)
- 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
Dairy & Cheese
- 1 cup tightly packed Parmesan cheese, finely grated or store-bought pre-grated (sandy type)
- 1 cup thickened/heavy cream (Note 5: can substitute with milk if desired)
Instructions
- Cook outside of chicken: Sprinkle each side of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once foamy, place the chicken in the pot and cook the first side for about 3 minutes or until light golden, then cook the other side for 2 minutes. The inside can remain a bit raw as it will cook later. Remove the chicken onto a plate.
- Soup flavour base: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add garlic, onion, and celery into the same pot and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion softens.
- Deglaze: Turn the heat back to high, add the wine (if using), stir well, and let it simmer until the wine reduces by half, scraping any browned bits from the base of the pot.
- Broth & pasta: Add the chicken stock, water, cooking salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook according to the pasta package instructions (approximately 10 minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add chicken partway: While the pasta cooks, chop the partially cooked chicken into 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) pieces and add them back into the pot to finish cooking as the pasta finishes.
- Finish soup: Once the pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Add the cornflour-water mixture, 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 the sun-dried tomato strips. Drizzle with a little of the sun-dried tomato oil for an attractive finish. Enjoy immediately.
- Storing: Store leftover soup and pasta separately in the refrigerator to prevent the pasta from becoming soggy. Reheat and serve with a slotted spoon to separate pasta from broth.
Notes
- This recipe video is included above for visual guidance. This is my current favorite chicken soup — creamy, flavorful, and hearty!
- While called Tuscan, this recipe is inspired by Tuscan flavors but is not an authentic traditional recipe.
- You can substitute chicken breasts instead of thighs, use different small pasta types or even rice or potato for variation.
- If you don’t have white wine or prefer not to use alcohol, omit the wine and increase the chicken stock slightly.
- Thickened/heavy cream can be substituted with milk for a lighter version, though the soup may be less rich.
- Sun dried tomatoes add a tangy finish replacing the need for croutons, and their oil adds lovely depth when drizzled on top.
- To prevent pasta over-softening in leftovers, always store pasta apart from the soup broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 688 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1253 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 179 mg
