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Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup in a speckled bowl with ditalini pasta, shredded chicken, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes, served with bread on the side.
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Marry Me Chicken Soup

Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup with pasta, Parmesan, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes. Cozy, rich, and perfect for dinner nights in. It's love at first spoonful.
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: marry me chicken soup
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • 5-7 quart-sized dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp dry thyme
  • ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • olive oil for the pot
  • 8 cups chicken broth (I used bouillon)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ sweet onion diced
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
  • 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (or orzo)
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach (see note)
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup heavy cream room temperature (see note)

Instructions

  • Rub the chicken breasts in sun-dried tomato oil and all the seasonings.
  • Warm some olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and lightly brown on both sides.
  • Add the garlic, onion, celery, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pot and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  • Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken breasts' temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Set aside.
  • Bring the broth to a gentle boil and add the ditalini pasta. Cook for 8 minutes, or until al dente.
  • Add in the spinach and stir until wilted.
  • Add shredded chicken back to the pot along with grated Parmesan cheese, stir to combine.
  • In a spouted measuring cup, temper the heavy cream by adding hot broth to it and giving it a quick stir. Then, stir in the warmed heavy cream and broth mixture to the soup.
  • Ladle into bowls.
  • Enjoy on its own or with some crusty bread.

Video

Notes

*1 cup fresh baby spinach can be replaced with a 1/4 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed.
** For dairy-free or a lighter version, replace heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.
Slow Cooker Directions: 
  1. Rub breasts in sun-dried tomato oil and then sprinkle the seasonings on each breast. Add to the slow cooker set to high and pour the broth over the top. Cover and set a 3-hour timer.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare fresh ingredients. Mince garlic, dice onion,  chop sun-dried tomatoes, rinse and squeeze spinach if using frozen, and grate Parmesan cheese. Set aside. 
  3. After 3 hours, remove breasts from the slow cooker and pull the meat apart using two forks. Set aside. 
  4. Add diced onion, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1 cup dry ditalini to the slow cooker (still on high) and set a 25-minute timer. 
  5. After 25 minutes, test the pasta for doneness. If al dente, remove 1/2 cup hot broth from the slow cooker and add back the shredded chicken breast. Turn the heat to the “warm” setting. 
  6. To the 1/2 cup of reserved hot broth, add 1/2 cup of room temperature heavy cream. Stir together and pour the cream mixture back into the soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 2645mg | Potassium: 1280mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2013IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 3mg