Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup (Printable Version)

Comforting Italian soup with shredded chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy herb broth. Ready in 45 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached breast/thighs)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 large carrot, diced
06 - 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained and chopped

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Herbs & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme blend)
11 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

→ Cheese

14 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, sauté until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
02 - Add sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs to the pot; sauté for 2 minutes to release flavors.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add shredded chicken to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Stir in heavy cream, spinach, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted and soup achieves creamy consistency.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you simmered it all afternoon.
  • The sun-dried tomatoes add a sweet, tangy depth that makes every spoonful interesting.
  • You can use rotisserie chicken and skip half the prep work without sacrificing flavor.
  • It reheats beautifully, so leftovers actually get better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't let the soup boil hard once you add the cream, or it can break and turn grainy instead of smooth.
  • Add the spinach at the very end—it only needs a few minutes to wilt, and overcooking turns it slimy.
  • If your soup thickens too much as it sits, just thin it with a splash of broth or water when reheating.
03 -
  • Use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to sauté the onions and carrots for an extra layer of flavor.
  • If you don't have rotisserie chicken, poach chicken thighs instead of breasts—they stay juicier and add more richness to the broth.
  • A microplane is the best tool for grating Parmesan; it melts in faster and distributes more evenly than chunks.
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