Green Chef

Tuscan Chicken Soup with Bacon

summer squash, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, almonds

⏱️ 25 min 🍽️ 2 servings

Cooking Tips

Make sure to soak the sun-dried tomatoes for at least 5 minutes, and reserve the soaking liquid for added flavor in the soup. Cook the bacon slowly so it becomes crisp without burning. Stir the sour cream, Parmesan, and butter into the soup at the end for maximum creaminess.

Ingredients

1 whole Scallion
1 whole Summer Squash
1 whole Garlic
0.25 oz Sun-Dried Tomatoes
0.5 oz Parsley
0.5 oz Sliced Almonds
10 oz Chopped Chicken Breast
1 tsp Tuscan Heat Spice
4 oz Tomato Cream Sauce
2 oz Sour Cream
0.75 oz Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Chili Flakes
2 oz Bacon
0 Cooking Oil
1 tbsp Butter
0 Salt
0 Pepper
0.5 cup Water

Tools

large pot large sauté pan small bowl measuring cup & spoons thermometer plate paper towels

Mise en Place

Prepare Produce and Ingredients

Trim and slice scallion into ½-inch pieces. Trim ends from summer squash, quarter lengthwise, and slice across into ½-inch quarter-moons. Mince garlic. De-stem and finely chop parsley leaves. Roughly chop sliced almonds.

Soak and Prep Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with about ¼ cup water (½ cup for 4 servings). Let soak for at least 5 minutes until softened, then roughly chop the tomatoes and reserve the soaking liquid.

Prepare Bacon

Open package of bacon and have it ready to cook. Prepare a plate lined with paper towels for draining after cooking.

Open and Prep Chicken

Open package of chopped chicken breast and drain off any excess liquid.

Measure Out Spices and Dairy

Measure out 1 tsp Tuscan heat spice (2 tsp for 4 servings), 1 tbsp butter (2 tbsp for 4 servings), sour cream, and Parmesan cheese. Have chili flakes and tomato cream sauce ready to use.

Gather Cooking Tools

Get out a large pot, large sauté pan, small bowl, measuring cup & spoons, and a thermometer if desired.

Cooking Steps

Prep the Ingredients

Trim and slice scallion into pieces, about ½ inch each. Trim ends from summer squash. Quarter lengthwise. Lay flat and slice across into quarter-moons, about ½ inch thick. Mince garlic. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Cover with about ¼ cup water (½ cup for 4 servings). Let soak at least 5 minutes, or until softened. Once softened, roughly chop tomatoes (reserve soaking liquid). De-stem parsley and finely chop leaves. Roughly chop sliced almonds.

Cook the Chicken

Open package of chopped chicken breast and drain off any excess liquid. Heat 1½ tablespoons cooking oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken to hot pot. Season with 1 teaspoon Tuscan heat spice (2 teaspoons for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. (Reserve remaining Tuscan heat spice for another use.) Cook 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to a plate. (Reserve pot.)

Cook the Veggies

Heat 1½ tablespoons cooking oil in pot used for chicken over medium-high heat. Add scallion and summer squash to hot pot. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon for 4 servings) and a pinch of pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until squash is browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring frequently.

Start the Soup

Return chicken to pot with veggies. Add sun-dried tomatoes (with reserved soaking liquid), tomato cream sauce, and about ½ cup water (1 cup for 4 servings). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 4-5 minutes, or until broth has reduced by half and chicken is fully cooked.

Cook the Bacon

Heat a large dry sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon to hot pan. Cook 6-10 minutes, or until crispy and fat renders, flipping occasionally. Turn off heat; transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once bacon is cool enough to handle, roughly chop.

Finish the Soup

Add sour cream, about half the Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon butter (2 tablespoons for 4 servings) to pot with soup. Stir until melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate Your Dish

Divide Tuscan chicken soup between bowls. Garnish with parsley, almonds, bacon, remaining Parmesan, and chili flakes to taste (or omit). Enjoy!

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