This cozy, creamy Chicken Florentine Soup skips the pasta but delivers big on flavor, with tender chicken, fresh spinach, and savory Parmesan cheese.
In my recipe testing, I found that adding deep layers of flavor, like deglazing with white wine and stirring parmesan into the soup itself, really paid off in creating a soup that is truly craveable.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Thanks to rotisserie chicken, you can have this ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights.
- Comfort in a Bowl: Super creamy and warming, especially on a chilly day.
- Simple Ingredients: No need for specialty ingredients for this recipe.
🥗 Ingredients
- Onion: I use a classic yellow onion in this recipe, but you can use whatever onion you have on hand.
- Carrots: These add flavor and color to the soup.
- Fresh Baby Spinach: Feel free to replace with baby kale, arugula, or chopped escarole. You could also use defrosted frozen spinach, but make sure to squeeze dry well.
- Italian Seasoning: My favorite blend includes oregano, basil, and thyme. Feel free to add in the dried herbs you love.
- Flour: For a gluten-free version of this soup, leave out the flour. Try thickening the soup instead with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch stirred into a tablespoon of water.
- White Wine: Use a dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio. If you don’t have wine on-hand, substitute more chicken broth.
- Chicken Broth: Choose a low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock so you can control the salt level yourself. Vegetable broth would make a fine substitute.
- Cooked Chicken: This is the perfect use for a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken! If you only have raw chicken, poach it in water first to cook it, then chop and add to the soup.
- Heavy Cream: yes, you can replace this with half and half or even whole milk, but heavy cream gives you such a rich and creamy texture. For a dairy free version, try replacing with full-fat coconut milk.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Peel 1 medium yellow onion and chop finely. Peel 2 carrots, then slice vertically into 2 or 3 planks. Cut planks into thin strips, then cut across the strips to make small cubes. Peel and mince 2 garlic cloves. Roughly chop 2 cups baby spinach.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan or dutch oven and heat over medium. Add chopped onions, carrots, and garlic, along with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Sauté vegetables over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add in 2 tablespoons flour and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour in ¼ cup white wine, and stir until it evaporates. Pour in 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth. Turn up the heat, until the soup begins to simmer. Then add 3 cups cooked chicken (chopped or shredded) and the chopped spinach.
Turn down the heat so that soup stays at a low simmer. Slowly whisk in ½ cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, until soup thickens a little. This also allows flavors to meld.
Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Serve, topped with more Parmesan cheese.
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the soup may look like it is a little broken after refrigeration. Just reheat gently and stir well to bring It back together. Reheating on the stovetop rather than the microwave is recommended.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Chicken Florentine Soup
Absolutely, just replace the flour with cornstarch dissolved in water or another gluten-free thickener. Unlike some Chicken Florentine soup versions, this recipe doesn’t include any pasta, so there is no problem there.
Freezing this soup is not recommended, because the creamy broth will fully break when defrosted. That said, you can prepare the soup up until adding the cream, then cool and freeze. When you are ready to eat it, defrost and reheat gently on the stovetop. Then follow the rest of the recipe, adding the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
Actually, the term “Florentine” is actually the name of a classic French sauce that includes spinach, garlic, white wine, and cream. Though these flavors are certainly common in Italian cuisine, as well as French cuisine. You might also see recipes for Chicken with Florentine Sauce or Eggs Benedict Florentine—all use a rich cream sauce with spinach.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Want an even thicker soup? Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water, then stir it into the soup as it is simmering on the stove.
If you are craving an even heartier version of this soup, try adding pasta when you add the broth. You may need to simmer it longer depending on how long the pasta takes to cook. Orzo or ditalini would be good options to add, or put in some fresh tortellini. You could also add rice instead of pasta. Perfect for a cozy meal!
Or, add flavor by changing up the herbs in the recipe or adding a little kick with red pepper flakes. You can also try adding savory sun-dried tomatoes or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for extra flavor.
Wondering what to serve with this? It’s perfect with some crusty bread or my Garlic Bread Baguette—a great choice for dunking. Or, add a salad and make this a full meal. Some great pairings would be this Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad or this Tomato Salad in the summer time. In the winter months, try pairing with this Beet Feta Salad or Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad.
Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is truly a time saver when it comes to an easy weeknight meal. I love it in this creamy soup, and also love using it in my Pesto Tortellini Salad, my Chicken Soup with Rice (another classic chicken soup recipe), and my Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes
If you are as big of a homemade soup fan as I am, you’ll want to try out some of my most popular soups here on Vanilla Bean Cuisine. Try this classic Provencal Soupe au Pistou next, or one of these favorites:
If you try this Chicken Florentine Soup recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach about 2 ½ ounces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (about ¾ pound)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Peel onion and chop finely.
- Peel carrots, then slice vertically into 2 or 3 planks. Cut planks into thin strips, then cut across the strips to make small cubes.
- Peel and mince garlic cloves.
- Roughly chop spinach.
- Add oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium.
- Add chopped onions, carrots, and garlic, along with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté vegetables until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add in flour and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Pour in white wine, and stir until it evaporates.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Turn up the heat, until the soup begins to simmer.
- Add chicken and chopped spinach. Turn down the heat so that soup stays at a low simmer.
- Slowly whisk in the cream and parmesan cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, until soup thickens a little. This also allows flavors to meld.
- Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve, topped with more parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this creamy Chicken Florentine Soup recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
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