There are a million and one ways to make chicken soup. This chicken florentine soup is a flavorful spin on chicken soup, packed with tender orzo pasta, savory sun-dried tomatoes, and bright and earthy green spinach. This chicken soup is just as good for the soul as a classic chicken noodle soup, and it comes together in under 30 minutes!
This soup is hearty enough on its own, but if you're looking to pair it with a savory side, Olive Garden garlic breadsticks, Panera-style black pepper focaccia, my pull-apart garlic bread or spanakopita grilled cheese are no-brainer sides! If you love quick and easy soup recipes, you will want to give my creamy marinara soup, tomato feta soup, or Southwest chicken soup a try!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Ready in 30 minutes: Comforting soups do not need to simmer all day to be full of flavor! This soup is ready in almost 30 minutes, and still brings a complete comfort factor.
A complete meal: You do not need to supplement this soup with any sides. You have grains, protein and vegetables all packed into one meal.
Packed with pantry and fridge staples: You do not need anything fancy to bring this soup together - only a few pantry and fridge staples. This recipe works well with easy customizations, too!
🥘Ingredients
- Shredded chicken: I like to use shredded chicken breasts for this soup, as it adds a good amount of substance and meatiness to the recipe. Because the chicken only gets warmed through in the broth, it will stay moist. Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is a fantastic shortcut, that cuts the soup cook time in half as well.
- Orzo pasta: Orzo, although it is shaped like rice, is actually a pasta. Because the "grains" are so small, they cook through in a short amount of time and add a level of heartiness to the soup.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I recommend using sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. You can buy completely dried tomatoes that are not packed in any kind of liquid, but I find that they retain a bit of their tough texture even when used in the soup. The oil-packed variety is the perfect chewy texture with the deep tomato flavor you expect from sun-dried tomatoes.
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach tends to be milder in flavor, and is generally has a tender texture as opposed to more mature spinach leaves. Baby spinach is a great choice for quick soups, as it wilts in minutes and does not require extensive cooking.
- Spices & seasoning: You will need dried oregano and chilli flakes to season the soup.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Chicken breast: If you prefer thigh meat, you can absolutely use it in this soup. You can also make fresh shredded chicken, and use that instead of a rotisserie chicken. Any leftover chicken will work, too.
- Chicken broth: You can use vegetable broth if that is what you have on hand, or you can use bouillon concentrate with water in a pinch.
- Orzo: You can substitute with pastina or any other small pasta shapes that will have a quick cooking time. I do not recommend using rice for this recipe, as it will absorb a lot more liquid than the orzo pasta.
- Baby spinach: Use frozen chopped spinach in place of baby spinach, or even substitute with chopped kale.
- Heavy cream: Instead of heavy cream, you can use half and half. Keep in mind that it will not be as rich as heavy cream.
🔪Variations
- Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth, for a vegetarian orzo soup.
- Sausage: Swap the chicken for Italian sausage, for a different element of meatiness!
- Spicy: Add in a spoon of Calabrian chilli paste for an extra layer of heat and spice!
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Shred the chicken - If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the chicken from the bones and take the skin off. Using your hands or two forks, shred the chicken into long strips.
Prep the vegetables - Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic using a garlic press or a sharp knife. Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes if your tomatoes are whole, and not already cut into strips.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onions to the pot and let them cook through until soft and translucent. Once the onions have softened, add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot, and sauté for 2 minutes. [photo 1]
Add the dry orzo pasta to the pot, and stir to coat the pasta with the olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes. Toast the orzo for 2-3 minutes. [photo 2]
Top the orzo with chicken broth, and let the soup simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the orzo to cook through until tender. [photo 3]
Once the orzo is mostly tender and cooked through, add the shredded chicken and spices to the soup. [photo 4]
Reduce the heat to low, and add the heavy cream to the soup. Stir to combine. Do not let the heavy cream come to a rapid boil, or you may find that your soup will break. [photo 5]
Finish the soup with baby spinach and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and keep the soup on the heat until the spinach is wilted. Once the spinach is wilted, remove from the heat and serve. [photo 6]
💭 Expert Tips
Adjust your liquid: The orzo pasta will absorb a good amount of liquid as it cooks. If you prefer a thinner soup consistency, you may want to add some additional chicken broth to the soup once the orzo is cooked.
Do not add the spinach too early: I recommend adding the spinach at the very end of the cooking process. Adding the spinach early on will change the flavor of the soup, and it will have an overwhelming spinach taste.
Taste for salt at the end: Many of the ingredients in this soup have their own inherent salt content. I recommend tasting for salt at the very end, to make sure you are adding the right amount.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- This soup can be made 2-3 days in advance of serving
- Store pre-made or leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge.
- This soup can be frozen for 3-4 months.
- Thaw and heat on the stove over medium-low heat to avoid the cream from separating.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
If your heat is too high, your cream can sometimes split or separate when simmering. I always recommend adding the cream at the very end, when the heat is lowered.
Your soup will naturally thicken once the orzo cooks, as it will absorb some of the liquid. If you prefer an even thicker consistency, you can add a corn starch slurry with equal parts corn starch and cold water.
📝More Soup Recipes
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Chicken Florentine Soup {With Orzo!}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Onion - finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic - finely minced
- ⅓ cup Sun-dried tomatoes - chopped
- ½ cup Orzo pasta
- 2 ½ cups Chicken broth
- 2 Chicken breasts - cooked, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon Dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Red chilli flakes
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups Baby spinach
- ½ Lemon - juiced
- Sea salt - to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onions to the pot and let them cook through until soft and translucent. Once the onions have softened, add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot, and sauté for 2 minutes.1 Onion, 2 cloves Garlic, ⅓ cup Sun-dried tomatoes
- Add the dry orzo pasta to the pot, and stir to coat the pasta with the olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes. Toast the orzo for 2-3 minutes.½ cup Orzo pasta
- Top the orzo with chicken broth, and let the soup simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the orzo to cook through until tender.2 ½ cups Chicken broth
- Once the orzo is mostly tender and cooked through, add the shredded chicken and spices to the soup.2 Chicken breasts, ¼ teaspoon Dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon Red chilli flakes
- Reduce the heat to low, and add the heavy cream to the soup. Stir to combine.½ cup Heavy cream
- Finish the soup with baby spinach and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and keep the soup on the heat until the spinach is wilted. Once the spinach is wilted, remove from the heat and taste for salt. Season accordingly, and serve.1 ½ cups Baby spinach, ½ Lemon, Sea salt
✱Recipe Notes
- Adjust your liquid: The orzo pasta will absorb a good amount of liquid as it cooks. If you prefer a thinner soup consistency, you may want to add some additional chicken broth to the soup once the orzo is cooked.
- Do not add the spinach too early: I recommend adding the spinach at the very end of the cooking process. Adding the spinach early on will change the flavor of the soup, and it will have an overwhelming spinach taste.
- Taste for salt at the end: Many of the ingredients in this soup have their own inherent salt content. I recommend tasting for salt at the very end, to make sure you are adding the right amount.
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