Our chicken florentine soup recipe is straightforward and made with basic ingredients, but it tastes like a 5-star comfort food. This wonderful Italian-inspired soup combines spinach and chicken with celery, carrots, and garlic to build a hearty soup base.
It is then enhanced with milk and heavy cream for a soul-nourishing, satisfying soup.
Is This Chicken Florentine Soup Healthy?
Our chicken florentine soup is hearty and comforting, plus it provides nutritional value.
The wealth of components provides you with complex carbohydrates, proteins, and a large number of vitamins and minerals. Among the ingredients, the chicken contributes the most to the protein profile, with 38 g per serving.
In addition to being a comfort dish, our chicken florentine soup is an innovative way to consume more of your preferred vegetables. A fruit and vegetable-rich diet is beneficial for digestion, immunity, and general health.
Several modifications were made to reduce the amounts of calories, salt, and saturated fat in this soup To ensure the dish conforms to the USDA’s dietary guidelines.
Main Ingredients
This chicken florentine soup combines the flavors of florentine chicken with a few simple vegetables and seasonings.
- Chicken Thighs: Whole chicken thighs are sometimes too thick for soup recipes, so we suggest cutting them into bite-sized pieces to ensure evenly cooked chicken. You could also substitute an equal weight of breast for thighs in this recipe if you prefer leaner meat.
- Spices: Caramelized onions and garlic help to build a hearty soup broth.
- Vegetables: We added carrots and celery first and allowed them to simmer in the broth. Fresh spinach leaves should be stirred in at the very end of the cooking process so that they do not get mushy. This way, the carrots and celery come out tender while the spinach appears vibrant and retains its crisp-crunchy texture.
- Broth: We typically make this soup with homemade, unsalted chicken broth, but cartons of chicken broth or even vegetable broth are great substitutes for this recipe.
- Dairy: Milk and heavy cream blend into the soup for an irresistibly creamy texture.
- Flour: To help thicken the soup.
- Orzo: Although orzo is not a typical ingredient in this soup, it adds more body to the soup and makes it more filling.
- Italian Seasoning: The mix of dry herbs includes rosemary, basil, and thyme and adds depth to the soup base.
Variations of This Soup
There are numerous ways to modify this chicken florentine soup recipe to your liking. So, don’t worry if you have dietary restrictions or ingredients you’d like to use up.
If the holidays are past and you’re looking for inventive ways to utilize leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, look no further. This recipe would be delicious with shredded turkey.
To make this chicken florentine soup dairy-free, use coconut cream instead of milk and heavy cream. Also, use olive oil for the butter when sautéing the garlic.
If you want to substitute the orzo for noodles, we suggest using thicker spaghetti because it absorbs less liquid. As for egg noodles, you may want to keep extra broth on hand because these noodles are quite absorbent. And not to worry, the additional broth doesn’t affect the flavor of this creamy soup.
The original recipe calls for chicken broth, but any broth will do. And don’t be afraid to go with your favorite veggies, they can certainly be added to this soup. Feel free to use your imagination because there is always room for experimentation in our recipes.
How to Serve
Round out this delicious meal with warm crusty bread, and use it to soak up the richly flavored broth. They make the treats tasty and filling. Or go with a simple salad with vinegar or citrus-based dressing that would cut through the creaminess of the dish.
Storage and Reheating
Store the soup leftovers in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator. This soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
When reheating soup from the freezer, allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes to ensure everything is warmed through.
Other Chicken Soup Pots to Try
Trade one-toned dinners for comfort and flavor with this hearty Chicken Enchilada Soup, and you won’t regret it. We’re throwing together enchilada ingredients you love to make a spicy, flavorful soup, and let’s be honest, it looks like a centerpiece that’s made to impress.
Classic and easy to make, this pot of chicken and rice soup can warm up the entire place. We use a lot of rosemary to give it that unforgettable fragrance.
How to Make Chicken Florentine Soup
Our chicken florentine soup recipe combines tender meat, fresh vegetables, milk, and heavy cream for a rich, flavorful broth.
- cook TIME 25 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 35 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE Italian
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 493 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 22 oz boneless skinless chicken thigh (cut into 2-inch cubes)
- 12 oz carrots (sliced)
- 4 oz celery (chopped)
- 3 oz onion (chopped)
- 2 oz orzo
- 2 oz spinach leaves
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Cut the chicken: Cut the chicken thigh into 2-inch cubes.
Mince the garlic: Peel the cloves and mince the garlic into fine, small pieces.
Cut the carrots: Peel the carrot and cut them in half lengthwise. Then chop the halves into semi-circles.
Chop the onion: Cut away the onion’s top and bottom and dice them into small pieces.
Cut the celery: Cut the top and the white part of the celery stalk and then slice it with a knife into thin slices.
Chop the parsley: Discard the bottom, leafless section of the stems and finely chop the parsley leaves.
Cut the spinach: Cut off the stem and chop the spinach into large pieces.
Cook:
Saute the spice: Heat a pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic, and 3 oz onion. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and seasonings: Add 22 oz chicken thigh, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp Italian seasoning. Stir often and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the vegetables: Stir in 12 oz carrots and 4 oz celery and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Add the flour and orzo: Add 4 tbsp all-purpose flour and 2 oz orzo to the pot. Stir to coat them all.
Pour in the broth, milk and heavy cream: Add 1 cup unsalted chicken broth, 1 cup milk slowly to the mixture, then add 4 tbsp heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the soup thickens.
Add the spinach: Stir in 2 oz spinach leaves and cook for a minute.
Serve: Take off the heat. Transfer the soup to serving bowls, garnish with 2 tbsp parsley and serve hot.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Emily Rogers, MPH, RDN
Nutrition Reviewer
- CdalesrChicken Florentine soup is a comforting and hearty meal perfect for chilly nights.