This Tuscan Chicken soup elevates traditional chicken soup in a way that delivers all the flavors of a classic Tuscan chicken dish in the form of a hearty soup. Sundried tomatoes, tender chicken, vegetables, white beans, and zesty Italian herbs – all in a creamy broth!
Need a few more delicious soup recipes to try during soup season? This Shepherd’s Pie Soup or this Italian Wedding soup are both wonderful, easy homemade soups to try!
Tuscan Soup with Chicken and Spinach
One of my favorite ways to use leftover roasted chicken is to make soup. This easy Italian soup tastes just like my Tuscan Chicken recipe but in a cozy bowl of soup, which I love on a cold day!
You can make this homemade chicken soup ahead of time and then reheat it right before dinner, but it only takes about 40 minutes from start to finish, so it’s quick to make even when you’re short on time.
All you need is a basket of homemade rolls, crusty bread or garlic bread and dinner is served.
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Ingredients Needed
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this delicious recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card with the amounts.
- Chicken Breasts: Use boneless, skinless breasts or tenderloins and cut them into cubes. You can also use chicken thighs if you’d like. Trim any excess fat first. For quicker prep, use shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken.
- Olive Oil: Use your favorite healthy and neutral-tasting oil to sauté the vegetables and cook the chicken before you add them to the soup.
- Veggies and aromatics: Yellow or white onion, celery, diced carrots, fresh garlic. These build layers of flavor.
- Seasoning: Thyme and Italian seasoning give the soup a classic Italian flavor, signature in Tuscan chicken. You’ll also need salt and pepper. For a kick, toss in a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
- Chicken Broth: Use store bought broth or chicken stock. Or your favorite store bought broth works. Use homemade if you’ve got it! You can also use vegetable broth if you’d like.
- Cannellini Beans: They bulk up the soup and add loads of texture and protein. Drain and rinse them before adding. Swap the beans. white beans are great, but buttery pinto beans or red kidney beans can be used instead. They all provide extra bulk, fiber, protein, and flavor!
- Heavy Cream: This is a signature ingredient in Tuscan chicken, so it’s only natural we make this soup broth rich and creamy. For a dairy-free version, use coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Another signature ingredient, chop them up and add them to the soup for some chewiness and slightly acidic flavor.
- Spinach: Baby spinach adds nutrients and color to the soup and is an easy add. It just wilts in the heat, so there’s nothing you need to do with it other than toss it in. If you don’t have fresh spinach on hand, Tuscan kale or escarole can replace it. Or, if you prefer zucchini or cauliflower instead, have at it. Mushrooms and red peppers would be nice too!
- Parmesan Cheese: you can also use Romano cheese, Pecorino or Asiago Cheese is perfect on top as a garnish.
Variations To Try
1. Stir in a ¼ cup of your favorite white wine.
2. Don’t have Italian seasoning, swap it for dried or twice as much fresh basil.
3. If you like noodles in your chicken soup, feel free to add some cooked small pasta shells, gluten free pasta noodles, or tortellini when serving.
How to make this Tuscan Chicken Soup Recipe
This hearty chicken soup is a make-again recipe, especially when you’re craving the flavors of Tuscan chicken! Here’s how to make it!
Step 1: In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the oil, chicken, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes per side until nicely seared on the outside. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to rest.
Step 2: Add remaining oil and cook the mirepoix (celery, onions, carrots) for about 5 minutes. The vegetables should start to soften, and the onions will become translucent.
Step 3: Then, add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking for an extra minute.
Step 4: Add the chicken broth and chicken to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping those flavorful bits back into the soup.
Step 5: Finally, you’ll add in the beans, heavy cream, and sundried tomatoes. Now, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes so the chicken has a chance to finish cooking through.
Step 6: Remove the pot from the heat and then add spinach. It will wilt within about a minute and then, it’s ready to serve!
We like to garnish ours with a bit of Parmesan at the end.
What to serve with Tuscan Chicken Soup?
If you’re going to eat this soup as your main course, then a basket of homemade sourdough bread on the side is in order. You need something to soak up the juices!
Of course, you can never go wrong with soup and salad! Caprese pasta salad is simply delicious. Kale Salad is super nutritious. And you just can’t beat the flavors in the shaved Brussels sprout salad.
Tips
- This is a great opportunity to use up any leftover cooked chicken.
- To thicken the soup, mix ¼ cup of cold water with 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch until fully dissolved. Mix it into the soup and allow it to thicken.
- Serve with croutons for a bit of crunch!
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: It can also be kept frozen for up to 2 months as long as you don’t add any potatoes, pasta, or starchy ingredients. They tend to lose texture once thawed.
Reheating: Reheat a single serving in the microwave or larger portions in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
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Tuscan Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless, diced into cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup carrot diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounces cannellini beans drained and rinsed, 1 can
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup dried sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Pecorino or asiago cheese, optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.4 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the chicken and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes.1 pound chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Then flip the chicken and cook it for another 3 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and place a plate. (it will not be fully cooked)
- To the same pot, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and the diced onion, carrots and celery.½ cup onion, ½ cup carrot, ½ cup celery
- Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and vegetables start to get soft.
- Then add in the the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- Place the chicken back in the pot and add in the chicken broth. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any bits of the the cooked veggies.4 cups chicken broth
- Next, add the drained beans, heavy cream, and sun-dried tomatoes.15 ounces cannellini beans, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup dried sun-dried tomatoes
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add in the spinach and stir for about one minute until the spinach has wilted.2 cups baby spinach
- Serve garnished with parmesan cheese if desired.½ cup grated Parmesan
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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