Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscana Soup

Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscana Soup is creamy chicken soup packed with gnocchi, spinach, fresh herbs, parmesan, and chopped tomatoes.

Although no longer on its menu, Macaroni Grill’s Chicken Toscana Soup was one of its most popular soups of all time. Indeed, even other restaurant chains have tried to copy the recipe! The tasty soup is made with broth, chicken thighs, vegetables, herbs, cream, and gnocchi.

What is Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is a small Italian semolina dumpling and often served as a replacement for pasta. It can also be fried like potatoes and served as a side dish.

In Italy, gnocchi takes on different flavors reflecting the tastes of the country’s different regions. And until recently, gnocchi was only available from Italian specialty stores in America. But the mainstreaming of Italian cuisine as brought good, quality, ready-made gnocchi to almost every Main Street grocery store.

Macaroni Grill first imported their gnocchi from Italy and then began making their own.

Macaroni Grill History

Phil Romano opened the first Macaroni Grill in Leon Springs, Texas in 1988. Since then, Macaroni Grill as grown into an international franchise with locations in places like Japan, Germany and Mexico.

Romano doesn’t own the franchise anymore. Today, he runs Hunger Busters, a non-profit organization that provides dinners to needy school children in the Dallas, Texas area.

If you miss Macaroni Grill’s Chicken Toscana Soup, look no further to satisfy your craving. You can make this delicious Italian soup in no time.

Ingredients

For the most authentic taste, buy the freshest ingredients when shopping for this recipe. Although homemade soup notoriously starts with leftovers, Macaroni Grill’s Chicken Toscana Soup was always made with fresh herbs and vegetables.

Here’s what you need to make Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan soup):

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Onion
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Flour
• Chicken broth
• Parsley flakes
• Salt and pepper
• Gnocchi
• Half-and-half
• Spinach
• Basil
• Parmesan cheese
• Tomatoes

If you have your own broth, measure out 3 ½ to 4 cups to replace the canned broth. It also might be fun to use miniature gnocchi, if you can find them.

How to Make Chicken Toscana Soup

• Cook diced onion and sliced chicken thighs in a large stockpot.
• Add garlic, butter, and flour. Stir and cook for about a minute.
• Add chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
• Add gnocchi and parsley. Let simmer for a few minutes.
• Add half-and-half, spinach, and basil. Stir to combine.
• Add Parmesan cheese just before serving.
• Top with diced tomatoes.

Serve Chicken Toscana Soup with crusty bread or homemade crostini.

Love Macaroni Grill? Check out these copycat recipes

• Sugo Bianco
• Shrimp Ravioli
• Rosemary Foccacia

Best Soup Recipes

• Chilis Tortilla Soup
• Dixie Stampede Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Campbell’s Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Olive Garden Soups
• Soup Base
• Senate White Bean Soup
• Sausage and Lentil Soup Recipe
• Charleston She Crab Soup
• Panera Cheese Broccoli Soup

Be sure to check out more of the best soup recipes and favorite Italian food.

Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscani Soup

You can make the Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscani Soup with this copycat recipe. 

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken toscana soup, Italian Soup, Macaroni Grill Recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup onion finely diced
• 1 boneless skinless chicken thigh cut in 1 inch THIN strips
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 28 ounces fat-free chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 16 ounces gnocchi store bought
• 2 cups half and half can use fat free half and half
• 2 cups fresh spinach cut into thin strips
• 5 leaves fresh basil finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fresh diced tomato, for garnish

Instructions

• In a large stockpot, place extra virgin olive oil, then add onion and chicken, and sauté. Once cooked through, add garlic and stir through. Add butter and flour, stirring until combined and lightly brown. 
• Stir in two cans of chicken broth, making sure you scrape the browned bottom of the pan to let in the entire flavor. Add gnocchi and parsley and let simmer for a few minutes to cook gnocchi through. Add half and half, spinach, and fresh basil. 
• Add about one cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese at the very end before serving. Garnish with diced tomato and enjoy with good crusty bread!

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1380IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 2.6mg