Name: Chicken Florentine Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1 medium onion (diced); 2 stalks celery (diced); 2-3 large carrots (peeled and diced); 3 tsp minced garlic; 3 tbsp flour; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1/4 tsp cayenne; 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste); 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste); 4 cups chicken broth or stock; 1 cup half and half; 3 cups fresh baby spinach

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This simple, yet rich chicken florentine soup is a creamy rustic style dish that’s easy to make, but full of flavor. Featuring juicy chunks of chicken, a blend of vegetables including spinach in an indulgent creamy broth – it’s a bowl of cozy comfort that’s ready in just 30 minutes.

The hubs and I happened to be out to lunch a while back. Kid-less, which almost never happens with four young boys.

We were both over-due for an hour where we could feel, and eat, like adults without wiping other peoples’ faces, and listening to lip-smacking in between chews.

I happened to be idly perusing the menu, listening to some story the hubs was telling, when my eyes caught on something.

Chicken Florentine…in a soup? Was it anymore possible to be still my foodie lovin’ heart? I mean I love Chicken Florentine.

We make a version of the classic combo all the time with pasta which we call chicken florentine & farfalle. And soup in any form is a staple for my soul. It seemed almost too good to be true that someone had the genius idea to put the two together.

I had to have it, and after a single taste I was immediately in love. Every bite was divine. I just knew I had to find a way to recreate it at home, because there were bound to be some intense cravings, and possible withdraws.

It’s also budget friendly and quick & easy to throw together, making it perfect for busy evenings during the week when you want a bowl of something cozy and comforting but are short on time.

I highly recommend making at batch of it today, so you can discover the deliciousness of this chicken florentine soup for yourself!

Ingredients Needed

This rustic style soup uses simple, easy to find ingredients.

You’ll need:

Chicken – Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts- trimmed of fat, which is roughly equivalent two 1 1/2 pounds of chicken
Oil & Butter – Olive oil is used to sear the chicken in, while butter is used for the vegetables.
Vegetables – A blend of carrots, celery, and onions are used in this recipe. This base mixture, known as Sofrito in Italian, lends the soup a subtle but delicious flavor.
Garlic – Freshly minced garlic will give this soup the best flavor, but you could use the jarred kind if that’s what you prefer.
Flour – This will be used to combined with the buttery, softened vegetables to help make the base for a roux to thicken your soup.
Seasonings – A blend of dried thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper combines to give this soup deeper flavor.
Broth – I recommend using low sodium chicken broth because it will allow you to dictate the overall saltiness of the dish. Alternatively, you could also use chicken stock.
Half & Half – A cup of half & half is stirred into the soup at the end to give it a rich, creamy finish.
Spinach – Fresh baby spinach- you can use the leaves whole, or give them a rough chop for a more uniform finish.

That’s it. Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients you’re ready to whip up a batch of this simple, but elegant Italian soup.

How To Make

As promised making chicken florentine soup is straightforward and simple.

Start by dicing the chicken into bite sized pieces, then season them with salt & pepper.

Add the oil to a heavy bottomed soup pot set over medium heat. Cook the chicken, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink anywhere.

Using a slotted spoon scoop the chicken out of the pot onto a plate. Set it aside.

Add the butter to the soup pot along with the carrots, celery, and onions. Stir them all together to evenly combine.

Cook, stirring often, until the onions have turned translucent which should take about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, dried thyme, cayenne, salt, and black pepper to the pot- stir to combine. Continue cooking another 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour evenly out over the vegetable mixture, then stir until everything’s evenly coated. Continue cooking for another minute.

Slowly pour the broth into the pot, whisking the whole time, to evenly incorporate. Let the soup simmer for twenty minutes, just until the vegetables are perfectly tender and the soup’s thickened.

Stir the half and half into the soup, then return the chicken to the pot and add the spinach. Continue cooking for another five minutes.

Adjust the seasonings, to taste, if needed, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Feel free to round out this romantically, rustic one-dish meal with slices of warm crusty bread.

You’ll definitely use it (especially that last piece) to soak up the every last drop of it’s richly flavored broth. Another Italian tradition, fondly known as ‘scarpetti’.

Storing

Leftover chicken florentine soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

If you haven’t added pasta to this soup, it can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to three months.

What Is It Called Florentine?

Chicken ‘florentine’ is actually a culinary term, and applies to a style of chicken dish that is prepared in (or is at least attributed to) Florence, Italy.

History has is that in medieval times, mid 16th century or so- Catherine De Medici (of Italy) was ruling the French court alongside her husband King Henri II. She brought many things from her native country to the French court, including spinach.

She began serving lots of spinach in various dishes, which she proclaimed to her court was a culinary delicacy/invention of her native Florence. She dubbed it ‘Florentine’.

So basically, just remember that anything with ‘Florentine’ in the title means it heavily features spinach. Often there’s some kind of cream sauce involved, but not always.

TIPS & TRICKS

Feeding a crowd or trying to stretch this into more than one meal? Add a cup or two of your favorite cooked pasta to it.
To make this soup even quicker and easier, use chopped rotisserie chicken for a simple shortcut.
I like to add a pinch of nutmeg to this soup. It’s an optional addition, but really yummy.
For an ultra rich and creamy finish, substitute heavy cream for the half and half. You can also add up to another full cup of half & half, or cream, to really make it ultra creamy.
Give it a cheesy finish by serving this soup with a garnish of freshly shredded (or grated) Parmesan cheese.

Other Simple Soup Recipes

This creamy chicken florentine soup is an easy meal that will warm you up on cold nights, without having you slaving over the stove for hours.

It’s perfect comfort food that’s budget friendly, but indulgently delicious!

Looking for other simple soup recipes to enjoy?

Try these:

If you’ve tried CHICKEN FLORENTINE SOUP, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!