Quick & Light Chicken Toscana Soup Insired by Macaroni Grill

This is a delicious and light version of Macaroni Grill's Chicken Toscana Soup. This recipe could use some thickening up with half & half and butter to be more like Macaroni Grill's, but I like it lower calorie so this is the way I make it. On the days I am making this, I run by Macaroni Grill and get one of their loaves of bread to go with it (they charge $1 per loaf and include the oil/vineger/black pepper dipping sauce) or you can make your own - there is an easy, highly rated version on RecipeZaar (#64446). I have made this in a crockpot (I cooked the sauted onions and garlic, broth, and raw chicken for 7 hours on low,,,shredded the chicken....then I transferred it to a pot on the stove and finished it according to recipe).

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 45  ounces  low-sodium low-fat chicken broth (3 small cans or 1 large can )
• 1  large tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 -2  cup  cooked chicken (roasted chicken from grocery store works great)
• 8  ounces 1% low-fat milk (you can use half & half if you want to be decadent)
• 8  ounces  mini  gnocchi (Recipe online or Trader Joes carries it, get parmesan gnocchi if they have it. If you can't find min)
• 5  ounces  Baby Spinach (fresh, half bag)
•  parmesan cheese
•  fresh basil (if you only have dried, rub approx. 3/4 tsp. between palms and add when you add the milk)

Directions

1. Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until transparent (5-10 minutes). Add the chicken broth and bring to boil. Add chicken and tomatoes; bring back to a good simmer for 5 minutes. Add gnocchi; cook for 1 or 2 minutes if mini size, a little longer if larger.
2. Add milk and heat until steaming. Stir in spinach just long enough to wilt. Ladel into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if you have it.