Description

Easy one-pot Tuscan chicken soup with tender chicken thighs, pasta, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy Parmesan broth.

Ingredients

For the Soup Base:

1 lb chicken thighs, boneless (don’t use breasts, trust me)
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped up
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, sliced thin

For the Broth & Body:

½ cup white wine (cooking wine from the box works fine)
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium or it gets too salty)
3 cups water
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
8 oz small pasta (shells, elbows, whatever)

For the Creamy Finish:

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (not the powdered stuff)
1 cup heavy cream
2 big handfuls baby spinach
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped up

For Thickening:

2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water

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Instructions

Step 1: Brown the Chicken

Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat butter in your pot until it stops foaming. Brown chicken on both sides – maybe 3 minutes per side. Don’t cook it through, just get some color. Take it out.

Step 2: Cook Vegetables

Same pot, turn heat down. Add onion, garlic, celery. Cook until onion looks soft, maybe 3 minutes. Stir so garlic doesn’t burn.

Step 3: Add Wine

Turn heat up high. Pour in wine. It’ll bubble like crazy. Use a spoon to scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom. Let wine cook down by half.

Step 4: Add Broth and Pasta

Add broth, water, salt, pepper. Bring to a hard boil. Add pasta. Cook exactly what the box says, usually 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Step 5: Add Chicken Back

While pasta cooks, chop that chicken into small pieces. Add it back to the pot when pasta has about 5 minutes left. It’ll finish cooking.

Step 6: Make It Creamy

Turn heat to low. Add Parmesan and stir until melted. Mix cornstarch with water in a small bowl, then add to pot along with cream and spinach. Stir for a minute until spinach wilts and soup thickens.

Step 7: Serve

Put in bowls. Top with sun-dried tomatoes and a little of that oil from the jar. More cheese if you want.

Notes

Thighs over breasts always. They’re more forgiving and taste better. Small pasta works best but I’ve used penne when that’s what I had.

Don’t have celery? Use carrots. Out of spinach? Kale works but cook it longer. No wine? Skip it, soup’s still good.

Taste at the end and add salt if needed. I usually need more than the recipe says.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American