Marry Me Chicken Soup
Marry Me Chicken Soup is a rich and creamy dish featuring tender chicken simmered in a flavorful broth with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pasta, and a touch of cream for a velvety finish. This soup was inspired by the popular “Marry Me Chicken” recipe and is perfect for cozy nights!
Marry Me Chicken Soup with Pasta
Soup Season here in Texas starts with the first fall day when temps drop below 80 degrees and goes through spring when our temps annoyingly bounce all over the place. Even if the A/C is still on, I’m making soup!
We now have close to 40 soup recipes on the blog and that number will continue to climb. What’s better than a large pot full of goodness that you can eat all week long?
Why This Recipe Works:
- FULL OF FLAVOR – Since we loved the flavor of our Marry Me Chicken Pasta, I thought we should turn the deliciousness into a pot of soup – of course. It’s creamy, full of chicken and pasta, and flavored with plenty of sun-dried tomatoes and seasoning.
- PERFECT FOR DATE NIGHT – This marry me chicken soup is sure to impress for date night. Add a side salad and a few slices of crusty bread for the perfect romantic dinner (or for anyone you love)!
- GREAT MEAL PREP – Soup is THE perfect food to cook for meal prepping throughout the week. Add a little parmesan cheese to serve.
What You’ll Need:
- Olive Oil
- Veggies – onion, garlic, and spinach leaves
- Seasonings – oregano, red pepper flakes, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Tomato Paste
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Lower-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Parmesan Rind (optional but delish)
- Chicken Breasts
- Pasta – small pasta like orecchiette
- Dairy – a combo of heavy cream and sour cream
- Parmesan Cheese – plus extra for serving
How to make Marry Me Chicken Soup:
Step 1
Sauté veggies. Heat a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Then add garlic and seasonings (oregano, red pepper flakes, onion powder, salt, and pepper) – and stir for 30 seconds.
Step 2
Add packaged items. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes (and oils from the jar, if desired – we did) and tomato paste, and stir well. Then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the parmesan rind to the pot.
Step 3
Prep chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Slice breasts into 3-4 even (as possible) pieces.
Step 4
Add chicken to pot. Then add the chunks of chicken to the pot and cook until done, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove chicken, rest for five minutes, and use a mixer to shred. You can also use two forks but it takes longer. Set aside.
NOTE: Chicken is done when a digital thermometer registers 165 degrees in the center of the meat. We normally remove chicken at 160 degrees to allow for carry-over cooking.
Step 5
Add pasta. Then add the orecchiette pasta (or other type) to the pot and cook until al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta!
Step 6
Add dairy and parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream, sour cream, and parmesan cheese to the stock pot. Stir well and simmer a few minutes or until hot.
Step 7
Add chicken back. Add the shredded chicken and stir well. Then add the baby spinach and stir until wilted (just a minute or two). You may need to add extra broth as the pasta absorbs it as it cooks!
Step 8
Serve. Serve marry me chicken soup with some extra parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Storing and Freezing:
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days. Leftovers may need more broth.
- Freeze soup in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
What to serve with Marry Me Chicken Soup:
- CRUSTY BREAD – Try our Chewy French Bread, Caprese Focaccia, or Italian Herb Bread.
- SIDE SALAD – Pair with a side salad with one of our favorite salad dressings – Creamy Italian Dressing, Spinach Salad Dressing, or Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- VEGGIES – How about some veggies? Try our Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto, or Cheesy Cauliflower Steaks.
Recipe FAQs:
You can thicken the soup by adding a cornstarch slurry (mixing cornstarch with water before stirring in), or blending a portion of the soup for a creamier consistency.
Yes, you can. Replace heavy cream with coconut milk or a dairy-free cream alternative, skip the sour cream, and use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese for a creamy texture.
Yes, you can use thighs instead of chicken breasts if desired. You may want to cook them for a little bit longer.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion – diced
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoon EACH oregano, red pepper flakes, onion powder
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
The broth:
- 7 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (we like DeLallo Brand) – chopped (WITH the oil, if desired)
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 6-7 cups lower-sodium chicken broth – or more
- 1 parmesan rind – optional
For the chicken, pasta, and remaining:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts – chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 8 oz. orecchiette pasta – or other type of pasta
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sour cream light
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese – plus more to serve
- 3 cups spinach leaves
Instructions
- Sauté veggies. Heat a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Then add garlic and seasonings (oregano, red pepper flakes, onion powder, salt, and pepper) – and stir for 30 seconds.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium white onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon EACH oregano, red pepper flakes, onion powder, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add packaged items. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes (plus oils from the jar, if desired) and tomato paste, and stir well. Then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the parmesan rind to the pot.7 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (we like DeLallo Brand), 3 Tablespoons tomato paste, 6-7 cups lower-sodium chicken broth, 1 parmesan rind
- Prep chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Slice breasts into 3-4 pieces.1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
- Add chicken to pot. Then add the chunks of chicken to the pot and, reduce heat to medium, and cook until done, about 10-15 minutes.Remove chicken, rest for five minutes, and use a mixer (or two forks) to shred. Set aside.
- Add pasta. Then add the pasta to the pot and cook until al dente. Don't overcook the pasta!8 oz. orecchiette pasta
- Add dairy and parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream, sour cream and parmesan cheese to the stock pot. Stir well and simmer for a few minutes until hot.3/4 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup sour cream light, 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Add chicken back. Add the shredded chicken back to the stock pot and stir well. Then add the baby spinach and stir until wilted (for just a couple of minute). You may need to add extra broth as the pasta absorbs it as it cooks!3 cups spinach leaves
- Serve. Serve marry me chicken soup with some extra parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Notes
- Keep extra broth handy in case you need it during the cooking process and for leftovers. The pasta will soak up a lot of the broth.
- Chicken is done when a digital thermometer registers 165 degrees in the center of the meat. We normally remove chicken at 160 degrees to allow for carry-over cooking.
- You can use thighs instead of chicken breasts if desired.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days. We like to meal prep this and add to individual containers.
- Freeze soup in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
Another winner soup for SueBee. We are soup lovers in this house and always looking for a new one. We love the original pasta dish so it was pretty certain this would be as delicious. I added mushrooms for a bit more veggie but the rest was perfect as is.
Mushrooms sounds like a perfect addition! Thanks Shari!
Not that I needed more justification to Marry You, but it never hurts to add more reasons! Fantastic recipe and I do! #mygirl.
I do too! 😍