Description
A quick and comforting creamy chicken pasta soup with fresh spinach, ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights, this soup combines tender chicken, pasta, and a luscious creamy broth.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 200g / 7 oz)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced (about 300g / 10.5 oz)
- 4 cups chicken broth (960 ml / 32 fl oz), low-sodium preferred
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml / 8 fl oz)
- ½ cup small pasta (85g / 3 oz), such as ditalini or small shells
- 3 cups fresh spinach (about 90g / 3 oz)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (50g / 1.75 oz)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or mix of dried basil and oregano)
- Salt and pepper to taste (start with ½ teaspoon salt)
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients: dice onion, mince garlic, shred or chop cooked chicken, measure broth, cream, and pasta, and grate Parmesan.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning; cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes to soften flavors.
- Add small pasta directly to simmering broth and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cooked chicken, heavy cream, and fresh spinach to the pot. Stir until spinach wilts and soup is creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Keep heat low to avoid curdling.
- Turn off heat and stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and optionally garnish with extra Parmesan or black pepper.
Notes
[‘Use freshly grated Parmesan for best flavor and smooth melting.’, ‘Add cream over low heat or off heat to prevent curdling.’, ‘Spinach wilts quickly; add it last to keep it bright and tender.’, ‘Do not overcook pasta; it will soften further as soup sits.’, ‘Stir often to prevent pasta from sticking to the pot.’, ‘Save time by using rotisserie chicken.’, ‘Reheat gently with broth or milk to restore creaminess.’, ‘Freezing is not recommended due to cream and pasta texture changes.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximatel
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
Keywords: creamy chicken pasta soup, spinach soup, quick chicken soup, comfort food, easy weeknight dinner, creamy soup, chicken pasta recipe