Description
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup is a comforting, flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs, small pasta shells, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a rich, creamy broth with Parmesan cheese. Enhanced with a touch of white wine and thickened slightly for a luscious texture, it’s perfect for a cozy dinner during any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 500 g chicken thighs, skinless boneless
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Soup
- 30 g unsalted butter (2 tbsp)
- 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 cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 250 g small pasta shells
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup thickened/heavy cream
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomato strips, chopped (plus bit of oil for drizzling)
Soup Thickener (Cornflour Slurry)
- 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Cook outside of chicken: Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper on each side. 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 the other side for 2 minutes. It’s okay if the inside remains raw as it will cook further later. Remove chicken onto a plate.
- Make soup flavor base: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, and sliced celery to the same pot. Cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is softened and fragrant.
- Deglaze the pot: Increase heat to high and add the white wine. Stir and allow it to simmer until the wine reduces by half, concentrating the flavor.
- Add broth and pasta: Pour in chicken stock, water, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the small pasta shells. Cook according to the pasta package instructions, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add chicken while pasta cooks: Meanwhile, chop the partially cooked chicken into 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Add the chopped chicken into the pot with the pasta to finish cooking.
- Finish the soup: Once the pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted. Add the cornflour-water slurry followed by the heavy cream and chopped baby spinach. Stir for about a minute until the spinach wilts and the soup thickens slightly.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls, then sprinkle with sun-dried tomato strips and drizzle a little of the sun-dried tomato oil for a beautiful finish. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- If using chicken breast instead of thighs, slice each breast horizontally into two thin pieces before cooking.
- White wine adds depth of flavor but can be substituted with extra chicken stock if avoiding alcohol.
- Pasta can be substituted with other small shapes like ditalini, macaroni, or orzo; gluten-free pasta can be used but consider adding a bit more cornflour to thicken.
- Alternative starches like diced potato or white rice can be used, adjusting cooking time to about 7 minutes for diced potatoes.
- Store-bought sandy-type grated Parmesan works best; avoid pre-grated shelf cheese that is not real Parmesan.
- For a lighter calorie option, substitute cream with 1 1/2 cups full-fat milk and reduce water by 1/2 cup; add a knob of butter for richness.
- Sun-dried tomatoes add flavor and visual appeal, replacing usual toppings like croutons or nuts.
- For storage, keep pasta separate from broth to prevent it from bloating. Cool and refrigerate separately; soup can also be frozen.
