Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Soup

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Soup

from triedandtruerecipe.com
Dinner
140 min
6 servings
390 kcal / serving

This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken soup is a heavenly winter soup recipe that will warm you up on even the most frigid of days.

Ingredients

  • 3 poundwhole chicken, neck and giblets reserved for another use
  • 10 cupswater
  • 2 teaspoonskosher salt
  • 1 tablespoonolive oil
  • 1yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 smallcarrots, peeled and diced
  • 4ribs celery, trimmed and diced
  • 1 tablespoongarlic powder, or use 6–8 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoonsdry thyme
  • 1 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
  • ½ cupsun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
  • 8 cupschicken broth, from above
  • 1 cupdry ditalini
  • ½ cupheavy cream, more if desired
  • 4 ouncesbaby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1lemon, juiced
  • ¼ cupfinely grated parmesan cheese, for garnish
  • 16fresh basil leaves, for garnish
  • salt and pepper

Directions

Make the broth (see note):

  1. 1

    Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

  2. 2

    Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a bowl. Turn the heat on the broth to medium and low boil for 15–20 minutes or until the liquid reduces down to about 8 cups. Strain the broth through a sieve into a large bowl. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stovetop.

  3. 3

    Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bird and shred or dice into bite-sized pieces. Reserve the skin for another use (like snacking on it or frying it up for a crispy garnish) and reserve the carcass for stock if you like.

Start the soup:

  1. 1

    Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. 2

    Add the garlic powder, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.

  3. 3

    Add the sun-dried tomatoes along with a teaspoon or two of the tomato oil from the jar. Cook for 1 minute more.

Simmer the soup:

  1. 1

    Pour in the broth and add the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Cook the pasta:

  1. 1

    Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ditalini and cook for 1-2 minutes under al dente. Drain.

Finish the soup:

  1. 1

    Taste the soup once more. Stir in the cooked ditalini, heavy cream, and baby spinach. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season a final time. Turn off the heat.

To serve:

  1. 1

    Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and a few basil leaves. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper, if you like. Enjoy!