Marry Me Chicken Soup
This Marry Me Chicken Soup takes the creamy, sun-dried tomato and Parmesan flavors of the viral skillet dish and turns them into a cozy one-pot soup with tender chicken, short pasta, and fresh spinach.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot - at least 5 quarts / 4.7 L
- Wooden spoon - for scraping up browned bits
- Sharp chef's knife - for onion, garlic, and spinach
- Box grater or fine grater - for Parmesan
- Soup Ladle - for serving
- Tongs or two forks - for shredding chicken if not using pre-shredded rotisserie meat
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - 30 ml
- 1 tablespoon reserved sun-dried tomato oil - 15 ml, from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - 14 g
- 1 medium yellow onion - about 1 cup or 150 g, diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes - 55 g, packed in oil, drained and julienned
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste - 45 g
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt - plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth - 1.4 L, preferably low-sodium
- 8 oz short pasta - 225 g, such as ditalini, small shells, or rotini
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken - 420 g, rotisserie works well
- 1 cup heavy cream - 240 ml
- 4 oz cream cheese - 115 g, softened and cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - 75 g, plus more for serving
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach - 90 g, roughly chopped
- fresh basil - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil, reserved sun-dried tomato oil, and butter. Once melted, add the diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, cooking for 2 full minutes until the paste darkens to brick-red.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any browned bits. Bring to a gentle boil, stir in the short pasta, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream, cubed cream cheese, and grated Parmesan. Stir gently until the cheeses melt completely and the broth looks smooth and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and warm through for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped spinach by the handful, stirring until it wilts into the broth, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with chopped fresh basil and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan. Serve right away while the broth is still loose and the pasta is tender.
Notes
- Toast the tomato paste. Give it two full minutes to darken to brick-red before adding the broth; this step builds the savory depth of the soup.
- Pull the pasta early. Cook it a minute shy of al dente since it keeps softening in the hot broth.
- Cube the cream cheese. Softened, cubed cream cheese melts evenly into the broth without leaving white streaks.
- Use the jar oil. The herb-infused oil from the sun-dried tomato jar adds free flavor when used to cook the onion.
- Grate the Parmesan fresh. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
- Keep the heat gentle after the cream goes in. A hard boil can cause the dairy to curdle; hold it at a low simmer.
- Season at the end. Parmesan and broth both carry salt, so wait until everything is combined before adjusting.
- Store pasta separately. The pasta keeps absorbing broth, so store it in its own container to prevent the soup from turning into a casserole.
- Freeze the base only. Freeze without the pasta, cream, or spinach for up to 3 months; add fresh cream, pasta, and spinach when reheating.
- Loosen leftovers. Stir in a splash of warm chicken broth or cream when reheating to bring the soup back to the right consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 28gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 620mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 12mg
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