Marry Me Chicken Soup

Get ready to pledge your undying love to Marry Me chicken soup. Our soup recipe is perfect for special occasions and for expressing your love in a delectable, edible way!

This Marry Me chicken soup recipe nestles cooked chicken and spinach in a rich broth simmered with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. (These are the same flavorful Italian-inspired ingredients in our other popular Marry Me recipes like Marry Me chicken and Marry Me pot roast.) In this recipe, tender orecchiette pasta is the perfect shape for the broth and herbs to cling to every spoonful. Have a taste of this enchanting soup, and get ready to say “I do!”

Marry Me Chicken Soup Ingredients

• Cooked chicken: Save time by picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store, or make some rotisserie chicken at home just for this recipe. Otherwise, our guide on how to cook chicken has tips for grilling, frying or roasting a bird with ease.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Look for jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil that are pre-sliced, or slice up whole sun-dried tomatoes yourself.
• Pasta: I like orecchiette pasta for this soup because the cupped noodle shape holds puddles of broth and spices. Plus, the noodles are easy to eat with a spoon.
• Fresh basil: A key ingredient in many savory Marry Me recipes is aromatic fresh basil leaves. They’re sprinkled over the soup just before serving. Look for fresh basil leaves or plants in the produce department, or pluck leaves from your own kitchen herb garden.
• Garlic: Briefly sauteed fresh garlic is part of the flavorful base for the soup. Skip jarred garlic, which can be bitter; instead, mince your own garlic cloves with a mini chopper or garlic press.
• Parmesan cheese: Parmesan adds salty and savory flavor to both the soup and croutons. I like to grate the cheese freshly for the soup so that it melts smoothly when added to the hot broth.
• Baby spinach: The tiny, tender leaves of baby spinach wilt quickly in the hot soup, so they can be added near the end of the cooking time.
• Chicken broth: Try one of our top picks for store-bought chicken broth, or use your own homemade chicken broth that’s stashed in the freezer.
• Spices: To round out the Italian flavors of Marry Me chicken soup, use a blend of dried oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.
• Cream: Use just enough heavy or whipping cream to add some richness and body to the soup. I like to warm up the cream first in the microwave or on the stove to help prevent curdling when it’s added to the hot broth.
• Vegetable oil: Extra virgin olive oil can be used to saute the onion and garlic, or use a neutral-tasting vegetable oil like soybean or canola.
• Tomato paste: Just a little of the concentrated flavor of tomato paste gives the soup more umami flavor and oomph.
• Italian bread: The perfect topper for this soup is crunchy homemade croutons made of cubed bread from either a bakery loaf or homemade Italian bread.
• Melted butter: When tossed with the bread cubes and grated Parmesan cheese, butter adds rich flavor to the croutons and helps them brown and crisp in the oven.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken Soup

Step 1: Prepare the croutons

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Spread the 1-inch cubes of Italian bread over a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. Bake the bread cubes for about 15 minutes to dry them out. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cubes cool until they’re very crisp.

Transfer to a large bowl. Then, increase the oven temperature to 350°. Line the baking sheet with a piece of parchment or foil. To the bowl, add the melted butter; use a large spoon or rubber spatula to toss the bread and butter together until the cubes are coated. Stir in the grated Parmesan, salt and black pepper.

Step 2: Bake the croutons

Spread the cubed bread mixture over the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir the bread cubes and cheese around, then return the pan to the oven to bake for another five minutes, until the croutons and cheese are browned. Move the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the croutons cool completely.

Step 3: Cook the pasta

Cook the orecchiette pasta in salted water according to the package directions until it’s al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to another large bowl. Toss it with a little vegetable oil to prevent sticking, and separate any large clusters that are clinging together. Set the pasta aside.

Step 4: Prepare the soup base

Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the diced onion. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for five to seven minutes until it’s soft and turning translucent.

Editor’s Tip: If you have leftover oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, you can use it in place of some or all the vegetable oil to saute the onions and garlic.

Add the minced garlic and tomato paste; stir and cook for another two minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste begins to caramelize, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pour in the chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, thyme, oregano, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together. Increase the heat to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer, cover the pot and simmer the ingredients for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 5: Add the rest of the ingredients

Remove the lid. Slowly pour the warmed heavy cream into the pot while whisking constantly. Then, stir in the shredded chicken, cooked orecchiette and baby spinach leaves. Gently simmer the soup for another four to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is warmed through and the spinach is wilted. Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the soup and stir until it’s melted and incorporated.

Editor’s Tip: Instead of shredded, the cooked chicken can also be sliced into small cubes.

Step 6: Garnish and serve

Ladle the Marry Me chicken soup into bowls or crocks. Top each bowl with some of the Parmesan croutons and a few fresh basil leaves. Serve the soup while it’s hot.

Marry Me Chicken Soup Variations

• Try other pastas: Short pasta shapes like small shells, ditalini or radiatore also work well in this soup recipe.
• Use roasted red peppers: Instead of sun-dried tomatoes, substitute flavorful and smoky roasted red peppers. Slice the peppers into strips or small pieces.

How to Store Marry Me Chicken Soup

The recipe makes a lot of soup! Luckily, it stores well in the fridge, so you can warm it up for more meals. Allow the soup to cool completely, then cover the pot or transfer it to a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. The croutons should be stored in a separate airtight container and kept at room temperature. Store the fresh basil in a jar of water on the counter, as you would a bunch of flowers, so you can add the leaves to the soup and other dishes.

How long does Marry Me chicken soup last?

When you keep Marry Me chicken soup cold and covered to protect the quality, it will last up to four days. The croutons will last for a week or longer.

Can you freeze Marry Me chicken soup?

Yes, you can freeze Marry Me chicken soup, which is a great way to make leftovers last a little longer. Transfer the soup to one or more freezer-proof containers, leaving space at the top for the soup to expand. (Do not freeze the croutons or fresh basil leaves.)

Cover the soup tightly and store it in the freezer for up to three months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight, or thaw and reheat it over low heat on the stovetop. Stir the soup to combine the ingredients.

How should you reheat Marry Me chicken soup?

Marry Me chicken soup warms up easily in the microwave. Ladle it into a bowl, then heat the soup in 45-second bursts, stirring between each one. You can also reheat the soup on the stovetop by placing the pot over medium heat, stirring and heating the soup until it’s good and hot.

Marry Me Chicken Soup Tips

What else can you serve with Marry Me chicken soup?

Although Marry Me chicken soup topped with buttery, cheesy croutons is very satisfying, you can create a complete meal by adding simple sides. Try buttered slices of crusty no-knead bread or Italian ciabatta. Split and buttered biscuits are good with soup too. A simple salad is a nice addition, whether serving the soup for lunch or supper. In place of the croutons, you can serve it with other soup toppers such as Parmesan crisps, crackers or other fresh herbs. Finish the meal with a fitting dessert of chocolaty Marry Me cookies.

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