This Chicken Florentine Soup is creamy and flavorful and uses tender chicken, fresh baby spinach, a creamy broth and a hint of lemon to create a super delicious and incredibly cozy meal. It's the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day and best of all, comes together all in one large pot! It's a great choice for an easy weeknight meal.
In This Post
I love this easy chicken and spinach soup recipe! It has all the qualities of a comforting soup you’d find at your local Italian restaurant. I like to think of it as a bit of a step up from your classic chicken noodle soup, and the creamy broth makes it feel ultra-indulgent.
This chicken spinach soup is the ultimate in cozy, adaptable goodness. I’ve packed it with sun-dried tomatoes, loads of garlic, and a hit of parmesan for that rich, savory vibe, plus pearled couscous for a little chewy bite in every spoonful. But honestly? This recipe is super flexible. Want to toss in some extra veggies or swap in fresh herbs? Go for it. Or if couscous isn’t your thing, orzo or any small pasta works like a charm. This one’s all about making it your own, so feel free to riff.
Now that the weather is turning colder (we actually had snow today!), this chicken soup recipe will be on heavy rotation for all chilly evenings ahead! (Enter the season of easy soup recipes!) It's a small consolation prize for having to dig out my snow boots.
Key Ingredients
This homemade soup recipe uses simple ingredients that are easy to find, many of which you probably already have. Here are some of the standouts. (See full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.)
- Chicken. I used chicken tenders here, but you can use whatever cut of chicken you like - skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work great. You could even sub in rotisserie chicken if you want to make this easier.
- Onion, carrots, and garlic. The classic soup staples for a chicken soup.
- Red pepper flakes. Optional if you like a touch of spice. I love the little bit of heat here since it helps to balance the creaminess of the broth.
- Thyme and sun-dried tomatoes. These Italian-inspired ingredients add rich flavor and tang.
- Pearled couscous. This adds a hearty texture that pairs well with the creamy broth. Be sure to choose the larger, pearled couscous for this recipe, as it holds up in the soup much better than the smaller, regular couscous.
- Fresh spinach. This is the "Florentine" part of the soup! Provides a fresh green element and slight earthiness.
- Half-and-half. I'm not opposed to using heavy cream, but for this soup, I've found that half-and-half gives it just the right amount of creamy texture without it being over the top.
- Bacon crumbles and parmesan cheese. I always say the garnishes can make the soup and that's true here. Sprinkled on top of your warm creamy soup these two take this soup to another level.
How to Make Chicken Florentine Soup
Making this creamy spinach and chicken soup is easy. Here's what you'll do:
- Cook the chicken. Sauté chopped chicken tenders in olive oil until golden, then set aside.
- Sauté the veggies. Melt butter in the same pot, then cook onions and carrots until soft. Add seasonings and sun-dried tomatoes, cooking briefly until fragrant.
- Add broth and couscous. Sprinkle flour over the veggies, stir, then add chicken stock and couscous. Simmer until the couscous is tender.
- Finish the soup. Stir in the spinach, half-and-half, lemon juice, and parmesan. Cook on very low heat until creamy and the spinach wilts. Add the chunks of chicken back into the pot.
- Serve and garnish. Ladle into bowls and garnish with bacon, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Serve with crusty bread. (Yum!)
Variations and Substitutions
There are lots of ways to deviate from the original recipe if needed.
- Heavy cream. I prefer using half and half here since it makes the soup just creamy enough without being overpowering. (And, it cuts down on the calories just a bit!) But, if you're hankering for an even richer broth, you can swap half-and-half with heavy cream. You do you.
- Rotisserie chicken. Save some time by using shredded rotisserie chicken. This is a great hack when you need to get something on the table FAST!
- Coconut cream. For a dairy-free option, use coconut cream in place of half-and-half.
- Add some mushrooms. I've added mushrooms to this soup in previous versions and they add a really rich, earthy delicious flavor.
- Toss in some lemon zest. If you love lemon, add a bit of lemon zest for extra zing in addition to the lemon juice
- Use low-sodium chicken broth. Control the saltiness with low-sodium chicken stock.
- Wild rice or pasta. Substitute the couscous with wild rice or small pasta like orzo for variety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken. Just add the shredded chicken when you add the spinach and half-and-half to avoid overcooking it.
Err.. not really. This soup is best enjoyed fresh, as the half-and-half and couscous may change texture when frozen. If you plan on doing some meal prep by making ahead and freezing it, leave out the half-and-half and couscous and add them fresh when reheating.
Of course! I'm a huge fan of sneaking in extra fresh veggies whenever I can. Try adding chopped red bell peppers, sliced baby mushrooms, carrots, or even artichokes to this chicken spinach soup for extra flavor.
I like to pair this creamy chicken soup with a simple green salad, this Crusty Rosemary Parmesan Bread, or even a slice of focaccia for a cozy, curl-up-in-a blanket-on-the-couch-after-dinner kind of meal.
We've been loving the re-introduction to soup season at our house and this creamy chicken florentine soup is on hot rotation. If you try it, let me know what you think in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me with a pic @frontrangefed on Instagram so I can see your masterpiece!
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Italian Penicillin Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- One-Pot Minestrone Soup
- Split Pea Soup With Ham Recipe
- One Pot French Onion Soup
- Healthy Chickpea Stew
- Easy Potato Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe
Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup Recipe (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ lb chicken tenders
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 4 oz uncooked large pearled couscous
- 3 large handfuls baby spinach
- ½ cup half n half
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon bacon crumbles
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and cook over the stove. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pot. Add the chopped onions and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the red pepper flakes, thyme, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Slowly add the chicken stock and the couscous. Mix well and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Add the spinach, the half-and-half, the lemon juice, and half the parmesan cheese to the soup. Cook for about 2-4 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the soup is creamy.
- Serve soup in individual bowls and garnish with bacon crumbles and extra shredded parmesan cheese.
Comments
No Comments