Chicken Florentine Soup
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Make this delicious florentine soup in your slow cooker! Chicken florentine soup combines tender meat, fresh spinach, and mushrooms in a rich and creamy broth. Top it with homemade Parmesan croutons!
While I don’t enjoy cold weather all that much, I do enjoy making soups and stews for chilly days. And between you and me — the best part about this recipe is the homemade Parmesan croutons!
They’re great for soaking up all of that yummy florentine soup broth. Just be careful not to start nibbling on them beforehand, or you may not have any left when it’s dinnertime!
Chicken soups are a family favorite, and there are so many different flavor combinations to explore. Try my White Chicken Chile Verde if you’re craving spicy or this Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup for something creamy and comforrting.
Key ingredients & substitutions for Chicken Florentine Soup
- Chicken — Use 2 to 3 boneless, skinless breasts depending on the size. You could also substitute an equal weight of thighs if you prefer dark meat, or try a mix of both!
- Broth — I typically make this recipe with cartons of chicken broth, but homemade or even vegetable broth are great substitutes.
- Veggies — Add a small, chopped onion at the beginning, then stir in the mushrooms once you’ve shredded the meat. Just before serving, wilt in the fresh spinach so it doesn’t become too mushy.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto — This is typically near the spaghetti sauce in most stores. If you can’t find any locally, regular pesto will work just as well. Or, empty the jar into a food processor and blend with a few sun-dried tomatoes for a quick fix!
- Milk — Whatever you have in your refrigerator is just fine.
- Butter and flour — Use these to make a roux for the creamy white wine sauce, which will also help thicken the soup.
- Dry white wine — Whatever you do, do not use anything labeled “cooking wine.” A good rule to follow is that you should cook with something you enjoy drinking by itself.
tip
- Craving more veggies? Toss some sliced carrots into the crockpot at the beginning or add drained artichoke hearts with the mushrooms.
How to make floretine soup?
STEP 1 | Start the soup
Combine the meat, broth, onion, pesto, and seasonings in a large slow cooker. Cook for 6 hours on Low or for 3 hours on High.
STEP 2 | Make the cream sauce
In a saucepan on the stove, whisk flour into melted butter to make a roux. Once it is bubbly and lightly golden brown, slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously. Let it thicken, then stir in the wine until smooth.
tips
- You will get smoother results with the sauce if you let the milk come to room temperature first. Measure it out and let it sit on the counter for about 30 to 45 minutes before you will need it.
- After adding the milk to the roux, the mixture should get very thick. Don’t worry — once it is stirred into the slow cooker, the soup consistency will become nice and creamy.
STEP 3 | Shred the meat
Once the time is up, carefully remove the boneless breasts (they may start to fall apart) and shred. Return the meat to the slow cooker, along with the creamy mixture.
STEP 4 | Finish and serve
If you were cooking on High, reduce the temperature to Low. Stir in the spinach and mushrooms. Once the greens are wilted, ladle your chicken florentine soup into bowls and top with croutons.
How to make homemade croutons
Not only is the process incredibly simple, but it’s a great way to use up leftover, almost stale bread.
- Slice the bread into large bite-size chunks and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle the chunks with your favorite olive oil (I just eyeball it!). I like using extra virgin olive oil like Bellucci — 100% authentic Italian grown and produced, not to mention very flavorful.
- Sprinkle with a generous amount of dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and finely shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Gently toss to evenly coat all of the bread chunks with the oil and spices.
- Toast the bread in a 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the croutons are golden brown and have a nice crunch.
Frequently asked questions
I find that using two forks is quick and easy enough, but there’s another way to give your hands a break! Toss the cooked meat into the bowl of a stand mixer, then run it on low with the paddle attachment. Slowly increase the speed as you go, and you’ll have perfect shreds in no time.
While this particular recipe might be tricky to reduce, you could always save the leftovers for lunch or freeze half for later.
You will need to ladle out the half for freezing before adding the milk mixture since dairy doesn’t freeze well. Make half of the milk mixture for immediate use, then make a new half batch when thawing and
Once cooled, transfer leftover chicken florentine soup to an airtight container and chill for 3 to 4 days.
Serving suggestions
With or without the croutons, this chicken florentine soup is very filling and tasty. You could even top each serving with freshly grated Parmesan if you don’t feel like making one more thing.
A fresh green salad with a vinegar or citrus-based dressing would cut through the creaminess of the meal. Or, pair a smaller bowl with your favorite sandwich for lunch!
Chicken Florentine Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts, broth, chopped onion, pesto, salt, and Italian seasoning to slow cooker. Cook on low for six hours or on high for three hours.
- Remove chicken and shred using two forks. Return chicken and sliced mushrooms to the crock pot.
- Prepare a roux by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook just until it becomes a light golden brown. Add milk and stir until thick and creamy. Stir in the wine until smooth.
- Add the mixture to the slow cooker temperature and reduce the temperature to low. Add spinach and stir.
- Cook soup another 15 minutes, or until spinach is melted and heated through.
Notes
- You will get smoother results with the sauce if you let the milk come to room temperature first. Measure it out and let it sit on the counter for about 30 to 45 minutes before you will need it.
- After adding the milk to the roux, the mixture should get very thick. Don’t worry — once it is stirred into the slow cooker, the soup consistency will become nice and creamy.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
If I am preparing this for lunch the next day, would I just stop before the roux then prepare that before serving?
Hi Jen. Actually, I think what I would do if I were making this a day ahead of time is to go ahead and stir in the roux, but I would hold off on adding the spinach until the next day. That way, you can reheat the soup (adding just a bit of liquid like chicken broth, if needed) and add the spinach and mushrooms fresh. Let the spinach wilt and serve while it is still nice and green. Let me know how it works out for you!
Thank you for the tip, soup tasted wonderful!
This sounds so yummy! I’ll be perfect for this rainy day. I already have shredded rotisserie chicken in the frig that needs to be used. Thanks for the inspo!
Incredibly easy and delicious! We both loved it and have added it to our winter monthly rotation. I want to add my photo as it came out so beautiful! I did sprinkle some Croutons on each bowl, Jay thought it was the icing on the cake!
Perfect way to warm up in this cold weather!
Basic ingredients for an easy yet eligant meal! Couldn’t find the sundried tomato basil pesto so I used a plain basil sauce and it worked great! Definitely bookmarked as a new family favorite! DELICIOUS!
This looks so delicious! Perfect for a cold winter night!
I love topping soup with croutons! The broth on this looks incredible.
Made this soup today. Delicious! I didn’t use white wine or onions (tummy troubles) and used low sodium/no sodium chicken broth combined to equal required amount. And spinach/kale mix. Also omitted additional salt. And next time I make it I think I’ll julienne the spinach and use about half the amount. It sure tasted good on the chilly day!
Steve, glad you enjoyed the soup! Your changes definitely make a “healthier” recipe option – good ideas! Thanks for sharing!
What a lovely soup, it looks so good! I love that it’s almost completely made in a slow-cooker.
Wow! A hot soup on a cold climate. It looks delicious.
Looks delicious!!!
Wondering where you find tomato pesto sauce? It sounds fantastic.
Jamie, you can find Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto at most grocery stores as well as Walmart. I really enjoy it on a baguette also.
I found it at publix at the end of the aisle where spaghetti sauce is. Small jar, Classico brand
@sheilathigpen, is there a substitute I could use for it? I can’t find it at my store.
Regular jarred pesto will work!
@Jamie, I had to search the aisle as it wasn’t with the other pesto’s which was weird to me.
This is so beautiful and I love adding wine to my soups! Good call on those croutons; they would be gone in no time here!
Looks so comforting on this cold day!