If you’ve been looking for that hug-in-a-bowl feeling but without all the heaviness, then you’ve landed in the right spot! I’m Jordan Bell, and folks down here in Asheville, NC, know I love my Southern roots, but I also needed a serious change. When I lost over 80 pounds, it was all about proving that comfort food can be clean eating, which is the whole mission behind my Easy Detox Recipes blog. That’s why I’m so thrilled to share my latest obsession: the Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup. This recipe takes that rich, decadent flavor you crave and strips it down to the essentials. You get tender chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and that velvety broth that makes you want to curl up on the couch. Seriously, this Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup is going to be your new weeknight hero!
Ingredients for the Ultimate Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup
You don’t need a huge grocery list for this soup, which is part of why I love it so much for busy evenings. Every single ingredient pulls double duty to create that signature Tuscan richness without weighing you down. We’re layering flavors right from the start, so pay attention to how everything is prepped—diced, minced, or measured just so! We’ll get to the full measurements in a handy table right below this, but trust me, having everything chopped and ready before you turn on the heat makes the cooking process fly by.
Essential Components for Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup
Let’s talk about the star: the chicken. I usually grab boneless, skinless thighs because they stay incredibly tender, but breasts work just fine if you prefer them. Don’t skimp on the mirepoix—that’s the diced carrots, celery, and onions—because these three build the entire sweet, savory foundation of our Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup. We cook them down until they’re soft and sweet, releasing all their flavor right into that olive oil before we even think about adding the flour for thickening. Those sundried tomatoes? They are non-negotiable for that deep, concentrated tomato punch!
Necessary Equipment for Preparation
You don’t need a ton of fancy gadgets for this soup, which is great news after a long day! The most important thing is having a big, heavy pot. I swear by my big Dutch oven because it holds heat so beautifully, which is perfect for searing the chicken first. You’ll also want a good cutting board and a sharp knife for prepping all those veggies. Oh, and don’t forget a sturdy whisk for making sure that flour disappears perfectly into the broth!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup
This is where the magic happens, and honestly, it moves fast once you get going! The key to this whole Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup is building those layers of flavor in the same pot. Don’t worry about cleaning up between steps; we want all those browned bits sticking to the bottom!
Searing the Chicken and Building the Aromatics
Get your large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add that olive oil. Toss in your diced chicken pieces with one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. You want it browned nicely on all sides, which takes about four or five minutes. Don’t cook it all the way through yet! Once the chicken looks happy and golden, pull it out and set it aside. Now, drop in your onions, carrots, celery, sundried tomatoes, and garlic. Let those cook down until they are soft and translucent—that’s usually about three or four minutes. You’ll start smelling that amazing Tuscan aroma filling your kitchen right about now!
Creating the Velvety Broth Base
Time to thicken things up! Sprinkle that flour over your softened vegetables and stir it really well to coat everything. If you’re using tomato paste, this is the moment to stir that in too. Now, here’s the crucial part: slowly whisk in your chicken broth, a little bit at a time. You have to keep stirring constantly while you pour to make sure you don’t get any annoying lumps. Scrape up all those tasty brown bits stuck on the bottom—that’s called deglazing, and it adds so much depth! Bring that whole mixture up to a rolling boil.
Simmering the Pasta and Chicken
Once you have a good boil going, throw in your pasta—I love the little shells for this—the rest of your Italian seasoning, and more salt and pepper. Put the lid on, turn that heat down so it’s just simmering, and let it go for about 20 minutes. This is when the chicken finishes cooking and the pasta gets tender. Now, if you hate the idea of pasta soaking up all your broth while it sits, feel free to boil your pasta separately and just toss it in right at the very end instead! If you are looking for other great soup ideas, check out my delicious white chicken lasagna soup.
Finishing Touches for Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup
When the pasta is al dente, take the lid off and stir in your heavy cream first. Let that warm through for just a minute. Then, toss in all your fresh spinach—it looks like a mountain, but trust me, it wilts down fast! Finally, stir in that grated Parmesan cheese until it melts into the broth, making everything beautifully rich. Give it one last taste test. Does it need a pinch more salt? Maybe a crack of pepper? Adjust those seasonings right at the end, and your Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup is ready to serve!
Why This Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup Recipe Works
I get asked all the time how I manage to make something taste this rich and comforting while keeping it clean, especially since I made such big changes to my diet. The secret to this Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup isn’t magic; it’s smart technique! You get all the satisfaction of a classic Tuscan dish without any guilt. Plus, it’s incredibly fast, which is a huge win for busy weeknights.
- The total time clocks in at just 50 minutes, making it perfect for dinner tonight.
- It delivers that deeply comforting, velvety texture you usually only find in heavy cream-laden restaurant soups.
- We use flour and a controlled amount of cream to thicken, sticking to my philosophy of clean comfort food.
- Since everything cooks in one pot, cleanup is shockingly easy—just one Dutch oven to wash!
Tips for Perfect Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup Results
I’ve tweaked this Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup recipe so many times over the years, and I’ve learned a few little tricks that make a huge difference between a good soup and an absolutely incredible one. The biggest thing people ask about is thickness. If you start with just 6 cups of broth, you’ll get that super thick, almost stew-like consistency that I adore. If you like it looser, just keep adding broth until it feels right to you before you add the cream!
Another thing I learned the hard way is about the pasta. Please, please don’t overcook it! Mushy pasta ruins everything. That 20-minute simmer time is a guideline, so test it early. If you’re making this ahead of time, definitely cook the pasta separately and only add it right before serving, or it will absorb all the liquid.
Ingredient Adjustments and Substitutions
If you’re rushing home from work and don’t have time to sear chicken, grab a store-bought rotisserie chicken! Just shred that meat and stir it in right at the end with the cream and spinach so it doesn’t dry out. That keeps the ‘clean’ aspect without sacrificing convenience. Now, for thickening—while flour is my go-to for that classic texture, if you’re avoiding gluten or just want a different route, you can absolutely use a block of cream cheese or even some full-fat coconut milk instead of the flour and cream combination. Just let those melt in slowly at the end, and you’ll still get that dreamy, rich body in your Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup. For more inspiration on clean comfort food, feel free to check out my Medium page.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Tuscan Soup
I get so many great questions about this soup, and it just proves how many of you are falling in love with this recipe! It’s so flexible, but knowing these little details can make all the difference between a good batch and a spectacular one. Most people want to know about making it ahead or swapping out ingredients. Don’t stress if you need to change things up a bit; we can certainly make this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup work for whatever you have on hand! If you enjoy this flavor profile, you might also like my recipe for Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe.
Q1. Can I use dried tomatoes instead of sundried tomatoes?
You absolutely can, but you’ll need to soak them first! Dried tomatoes are much harder. Soak about a half cup of dried tomatoes in hot water for about 20 minutes until they soften up, drain them really well, and then chop them. They won’t have that intense, chewy burst of flavor that the oil-packed sundried ones offer, but it works in a pinch!
Q2. What if I don’t want to use flour to thicken my soup?
That’s an easy fix! As I mentioned, you can swap out the flour for cream cheese or coconut milk. If you use cream cheese, cut it into cubes and let it melt in slowly right before you add the spinach. It gives you that incredible richness, and it’s a great way to make this Tuscan soup naturally gluten-free if you need to.
Q3. My soup seems too thin after cooking. What did I do wrong?
Don’t panic! This happens if you added too much broth at the start. The easiest fix is to let it simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes to allow some liquid to evaporate. If you’re in a huge rush, you can make a slurry—mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water until smooth, then whisk that into the simmering soup until it thickens up. It’s a fast fix for a thin broth!
Can I Make This Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup Ahead of Time
Yes, you totally can make this ahead of time! In fact, I think the flavors meld even better overnight. The real trick, though, is handling the pasta. If you cook the pasta right in the soup, it will swell up and absorb almost all your liquid by the next day, making it more like a casserole than a soup. So, if you plan on having leftovers, I highly recommend cooking your small shells separately until they are just shy of al dente. Cool them completely, store them in an airtight container, and then add them back into the soup right when you reheat it on the stovetop! You can see more of my recipe ideas on Pinterest.
Storing Leftovers of Your Creamy Tuscan Dish
I always hope there are leftovers because this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup tastes even better the next day! When you store it, remember that the pasta keeps soaking up that delicious broth, which is why you need a little plan for reheating. Keeping the soup properly sealed is key to locking in that fresh flavor we worked so hard to build. Don’t worry, bringing it back to life is super simple!
Storage and Reheating Table
| Storage Method | Refrigeration Time | Reheating Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Airtight container | Up to 4 days | Slowly on the stovetop |
| Freezing (without pasta) | Up to 2 months | Thaw overnight in the fridge |
When you reheat any leftovers, you absolutely must stir in an extra splash of chicken broth or even just water. This brings back that perfect creamy consistency we talked about. If you cooked the pasta separately, stir it in after the soup is hot! If you are looking for other comforting soup recipes, try my Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
Enjoying Your Homemade Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup
And there you have it—a bowl of pure comfort that’s actually good for you! This Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup is fantastic all by itself, but I love serving it with a thick slice of crusty sourdough bread for dipping into that velvety broth. A simple, bright green side salad with a lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness perfectly. When you make this for your family, please come back and tell me how it went in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear what you think! For more healthy dinner ideas, check out the Dinner Recipes section.
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5 Amazing Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Creamy Marry Me Tuscan Chicken Soup offers rich, comforting flavor with tender chicken, pasta, and spinach in a velvety broth. This recipe delivers Southern comfort food made clean.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1–1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced onions
- ¼ cup diced sundried tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 6–8 cups chicken broth
- 6 oz pasta (Italian small shells used)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½–1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- 2½–3 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until browned on all sides, about 4–5 minutes.
- In the same pot, add onions, carrots, celery, sundried tomatoes, and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3–4 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour throughout and stir well to combine. Add flour in stages to avoid excess drying. If using, add tomato paste here and stir.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth and stir repeatedly, ensuring there are no lumps. Deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Bring mixture to a rolling boil and add in pasta, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover and lower heat to let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and pasta is al dente. Alternatively, boil pasta separately and add it at the end.
- Open the pot and stir in heavy cream, spinach, and grated Parmesan cheese. Let the soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and spices if needed.
Notes
- Starting with 6 cups of broth gives a thick, creamy consistency. Add more broth if a thinner texture is preferred.
- The tomato paste is optional, depending on whether you want a tomato base or creamy flavor.
- Rotisserie chicken can be used; add at the end to prevent overcooking.
- Avoid overcooking pasta to prevent mushiness.
- For reheating, add extra broth or water if needed.
- Flour thickens the soup, though cream cheese or coconut milk can be substitutes if a different texture is desired.
- For slow cooker use, add all ingredients except pasta, cream, spinach, and cheese; cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, then add the remaining ingredients at the end.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
