Tuscan Chicken Lasagna Soup

Method

• Prep:

  Start by making your seasoning blend, combining the salt, pepper, all purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, and paprika in a small bowl and mixing it together. Add the chicken thighs to a separate bowl and season them generously with the blend, then set them aside.

  Finely chop your onion, garlic, and about two thirds of the sun dried tomatoes, leaving the remaining third whole so you get some extra texture in the soup later on.

   

  Cooking:

  Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium high heat and add a little of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to the pot. Sear the seasoned chicken thighs on both sides until they develop a nice golden color, but do not cook them all the way through since they will finish cooking in the broth. Once they have good color on each side, remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.

  In the same pot, go in with the chopped onion and cook it down, stirring occasionally, until it is softened and lightly golden. Add in the chopped garlic and cook briefly until it becomes fragrant, then add in both the chopped and whole sun dried tomatoes and continue to saute, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.

  Splash in a bit of white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot so none of that flavor goes to waste. Stir in a generous scoop of tomato paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes to caramelize which builds a deeper and richer flavor in the soup.

  Pour in the chicken stock and bring everything to a gentle simmer before returning the seared chicken thighs to the pot. Cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender enough to shred easily.

  Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it using two forks, then add the shredded chicken back into the pot along with the fresh baby spinach and the rest of your seasoning blend. Let the spinach wilt down into the soup before stirring in the heavy cream.

  Add in the broken lasagna noodles along with a handful of fresh basil and bring everything back to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened up to a rich and creamy consistency.

  Turn the heat down to low and stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese until it is fully melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust your seasoning as needed, then serve it up with a little mozzarella cheese and crushed red pepper flakes on top.

  This one is a must try. Come back and let me know what you think

•  

  TIPS AND TRICKS:

  -Using the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to sear the chicken is a small move that adds a ton of flavor right from the start. It infuses that rich sun dried tomato taste into the chicken and the base of the soup without needing any extra ingredients.

  -Make sure you do not skip the step of caramelizing the tomato paste. Cooking it for a couple of minutes before adding the liquid deepens the flavor significantly and gives the soup a richer, more complex taste that you will definitely notice.

  -Breaking the lasagna noodles into bite sized pieces before adding them to the soup makes it so much easier to eat and ensures you get a piece of noodle in every spoonful. I like to break them into roughly 1-2 inch pieces but you can go bigger or smaller depending on your preference.

  -If your soup is looking too thick after the noodles cook, add a little more chicken stock to thin it out to your desired consistency. The noodles absorb a lot of liquid as they cook so do not be afraid to adjust.

  -Shredding the chicken while it is still warm makes the process a lot easier. Two forks work great for this, or if you have them, a pair of meat claws will get the job done even faster.

•  

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

  Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

  You can, but I highly recommend sticking with chicken thighs for this recipe because they stay much more tender and juicy after simmering and shredding. Chicken breast tends to dry out more easily and will not give you the same richness in the final dish.

  What can I use instead of white wine?

  If you do not cook with alcohol, you can substitute the white wine with a splash of chicken broth mixed with a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice. Or just the Chicken broth alone. It will still give you that acidity needed to deglaze the pot and lift up all of those browned bits.

  Can I make this ahead of time?

  You can make the soup ahead of time but I would recommend cooking the lasagna noodles separately and adding them when you are ready to serve. If the noodles sit in the soup too long they will continue to absorb the liquid and can become mushy. Store the soup and noodles separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.

  Can I freeze this soup?

  The soup base freezes well for up to 2-3 months, but just like with making it ahead, I would leave out the lasagna noodles and cook them fresh when you are ready to reheat. The cream based broth holds up nicely in the freezer and reheats well on the stovetop.

  What can I serve on the side with this?

  A warm piece of crusty bread or garlic bread is the perfect pairing for this soup because it gives you something to dip into that creamy broth. A simple side salad also works well if you want something lighter to balance out the richness of the dish.