Chicken & Mushroom Soup with Spinach

A creamy, one-pot soup built on browned chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and a quick pan deglaze—finished with spinach for freshness.

All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic
• 8 oz button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut bite-size
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Sauté vegetables: In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until softened. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Brown the chicken: Toss chicken pieces in flour. Melt butter in the pot, then brown the chicken.
3. Deglaze & combine: Pour in broth to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Return sautéed vegetables to the pot.
4. Make it creamy: Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
5. Finish with spinach: Add spinach and simmer 3 minutes until wilted.

Notes

• Don’t crowd the browning step: Give the floured chicken room in the pot so it sears instead of steaming.
• Scrape the fond: Those browned bits in the bottom of the pot are what make the broth taste deep—deglaze thoroughly.
• Spinach last: Stir it in at the end so it stays bright green and just wilted.
• Leftovers: Reheat gently over low heat; add a splash of broth if the soup thickens in the fridge.

Why This Works

• Two-stage cooking: Sautéing the aromatics and mushrooms first builds flavor without overcooking the chicken.
• Flour on the chicken: Light coating helps browning and quietly thickens the soup as the cream simmers.
• Broth then cream: Deglazing with broth lifts fond into the soup; cream finishes it rich and silky.
• Fresh spinach: Adds color and balance to a creamy base without long cooking.