Tuscan chicken has a familiar cast — sun-dried tomato, spinach, cream, Parmesan — and it usually arrives coating something. Here it does not coat anything. It is a soup, and the potatoes are what make it filling.
The dairy goes in on Warm at the very end. A cup of cream and half a cup of Parmesan added to a pot still on Low would risk splitting; on Warm they only need to melt through.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking the chicken whole and shredding it afterwards keeps the strands long in the broth.
- Diced Yukon Golds soften over four and a half hours and release enough starch to give the soup body.
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes bring acidity and fat that survive the whole cook.
- Spinach in for five minutes on Warm wilts without going grey or losing its shape.
Ingredient Notes
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Three medium, diced. Waxy enough to hold their shape across four and a half hours.
- Heavy cream and Parmesan
- A cup and half a cup, both added on Warm rather than during the cook.
- Baby spinach
- Five ounces, in for the last five minutes only.
How to Make It
Build the soup
Add the chicken, potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.
Cook to 165F
Cover and cook on Low for about 4 1/2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the potatoes are tender.
Shred and return
Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it, and return it to the soup.
Dairy on Warm
Turn to Warm and stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan. Add the spinach for the final 5 minutes, just until wilted.
Serve
Serve as a true soup with shredded chicken, potatoes, spinach and sun-dried tomato visible.
Low, Then Warm
Four and a half hours of cooking and about ten minutes of finishing, with a heat change in between that exists purely to protect the dairy.
Stage 1 of 3
The LOW stage
Steps 1–2 of 5
Whole chicken breasts, three diced Yukon Golds, 1/2 cup of chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in 6 cups of broth with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. About 4 1/2 hours, until the chicken is at 165F and the potatoes are tender.
- Build the soupAdd the chicken, potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Cook to 165FCover and cook on Low for about 4 1/2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the potatoes are tender.
Stage 2 of 3
Shredding, off the heat
Steps 3–3 of 5
The chicken out onto a plate, pulled apart and returned. Doing this before the cream goes in means the soup is still thin enough to stir the strands evenly through.
- Shred and returnTransfer the chicken to a plate, shred it, and return it to the soup.
Stage 3 of 3
The WARM finish
Steps 4–5 of 5
Cooker down to WARM, then 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan stirred in, and 5 oz of baby spinach for the last 5 minutes. Nothing here is boiled, which is why the cream stays smooth.
- Dairy on WarmTurn to Warm and stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan. Add the spinach for the final 5 minutes, just until wilted.
- ServeServe as a true soup with shredded chicken, potatoes, spinach and sun-dried tomato visible.
Success Tips
- Dice the potatoes to an even size so they finish together with the chicken.
- Turn the cooker down to Warm before the cream goes in, not after.
- Shred on a plate so the chicken comes apart cleanly rather than clouding the soup.
Serving Ideas
Six servings as a true soup, with the shredded chicken, potato, wilted spinach and sun-dried tomato all visible in the bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add orzo or pasta?
No. This is the soup version and the potatoes are its starch; the pasta version is a different recipe.
Will the cream split?
Not if it goes in on Warm at the end, which is how the recipe is written.
When does the spinach go in?
For the final five minutes, just until it wilts.
