I reach for an Italian chicken soup recipe when I want comfort food with flair. Maybe I have an important guest coming to dinner, or I need to bring a show-stopping dish to a party. This is my tried-and-true, tastes-like-it-took-hours-to-make chicken soup recipes choice!
I go Protective-Mama-Bear over fall coziness and elegant dinner parties, so you know I only trust a few chicken recipes to deliver both warmth and style. The Italian seasoning adds vibrant zest while the chicken soup base still lays a familiar, hearty palate.
Whether you’re wearing a tux or yoga pants, let’s get this Italian chicken soup cookin’!
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What I Love About This Recipe
Is there anything better than that eyes-roll-back-in-your-head moment of taking a really luscious bite of food? Serve Italian chicken soup, and I promise, your table will be a-bursting with praise!
- Fancy on the fly — this whips up in less than thirty minutes!
- Versatility galore
- Easy-to-find ingredients that taste rare
- One-pot! Clean-up is a cinch.
How To Make Italian Chicken Soup Recipe
Begin by sautéing the aromatics and spices in olive oil before adding in the veggies to soften them up. Then, you’ll add chicken stock, bouillon, chicken, pasta, and Italian parsley to the pot and let everything simmer until the pasta is cooked through. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
For anyone with experience cooking Italian food, the ingredients in Italian chicken soup recipe should all sound familiar — which is so relieving, isn’t it? You can make a fancy meal without staring in a stupor of cold-sweat at food items you’ve never even heard of. Simple, delicious elegance is within all of our grasps!
Ingredient Notes
Shake up those veggies: Carrots not your thing? Got a celery allergy? One of the many lovely things about the Italian chicken soup recipe is that there are very few vegetables that don’t go with it. You can easily swap the carrots for potatoes, the celery for zucchini, or whatever veggies you have in your fridge!
Fresh herbs: I adore my herb garden for more reasons than just easy access to fresh herbs — did you know most herbal plants repel bugs? The fresh rosemary and basil you use in this dish are two of them! Not only will your herb garden give you yummy fresh ingredients, but it’ll also keep your outdoor area pest-free.
Pasta: You’ll notice I left one of the ingredients a bit up to you in the recipe! “Small shape pasta” forces you to have some fun with your soup. Do you want to try orzo, the rice-like pasta? Or maybe ditalini, tiny tubes of pasta?
There are so many fun options for small pasta. You can even add those alphabet noodles if you’re making this soup for kids!
Chicken: You’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe. If you’re cooking it specifically for the soup, I suggest baking with just a little salt and pepper. White and dark meat both work, but dark meat can be a bit greasy, so I’d suggest using it sparingly.
Don’t forget- cook chicken to a minimum of 165°. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. Try the lemon pepper seasoned chicken to add a slight twist to the flavor of the soup!
Storing Tips
Soup is one of my favorite things to make and store. Follow this advice to keep your Italian chicken soup recipe at its best!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! Be warned that pasta will lose its integrity in the freezer. If you can’t stand mushy pasta but you plan on freezing this soup, leave out the pasta until you’re ready to eat it. Otherwise, you can store this soup in the freezer for up to three months.
Make Ahead Tips
One of my favorite meal-prep tips is to pre-dice all of my veggies for the week, then store them in containers in the fridge. Most veggies will last for up to seven days (though I’ve found mushrooms have a shorter shelf life).
If you’re really pressed for time, I love using shredded rotisserie chicken in this dish. It gives it such a depth of flavor and is so easy to pull together!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Italian chicken soup recipe can sit your fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Recipe Variations
Can I Make This With A Different Mediterranean Twist?
The flavor profiles of Italian recipes are so similar to Mediterranean dishes that swapping them over is easy! You can turn this soup into Greek lemon chicken soup by incorporating copious amounts of fresh, tart lemon juice.
Or head to inland Italy with chicken Florentine soup — “florentine” means to cook in the style of Florence, a region of Italy famous for their use of leafy greens in dishes.
Can I Cook This In A Crock Pot?
Soups and Crockpots go hand in hand! Add all the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Crockpot chicken soup with an Italian twist like this one will have you scrambling for other recipes — so check out my crockpot chicken noodle soup!
Can I Cook This Soup In An Instant Pot?
Yes! Instant pot chicken noodle soup is one of my favorite comfort food because it whips up so easily, giving me that slow-cooked flavor fast. Simply use your Instant Pot in lieu of the stovetop pot in the recipe below, then cook the soup according to your pot’s Soup and Stew setting.
You’ll have instant pot chicken soup in less than an hour!
What Vegetables Can I Add To This Recipe?
There are so many versions of the Italian chicken soup recipe! You’ll find a unique twist at almost every Italian restaurant you go to. Try adding potatoes and a dollop of cream for a creamy chicken potato soup, or toss in some broccoli for chicken broccoli soup!
Can I Make This Soup With Cream?
The cream makes everything better. Instead of broth, try swapping in a can or two of cream of chicken soup for a really rich version of Italian chicken soup recipe! Or go full South-of-the-Border with creamy chicken tortilla soup — flip the Italian seasonings for Mexican, chop up some tortillas, and splash in some cream. Delicious!
Italian Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cup onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 cups carrots, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/2 cups celery, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 8-10 cups chicken stock
- 1 heaping tablespoon chicken Better Than Bouillon
- 1 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups small shape pasta, dry
- 3-4 cups cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups shaved parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often until vegetables are tender, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add 8 cups of chicken stock, Better Than Bouillon, rosemary sprig, salt, and pepper then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the veggies are tender (about 10-12 minutes).
- Add the pasta and chicken simmering until the pasta is just al dente. Stir in the Italian parsley and basil. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- To serve, ladle soup into each bowl, then top with a generous pinch of shaved Parm.
Nutrition
More Chicken Soup Recipes
Is there anything good chicken soup can’t do? Hearty and flavorful. Comforting and complex. Check out more of my favorites:
- Buffalo Chicken Soup – Enjoy hot wings flavor in a soup!
- Jewish Chicken Soup – The perfect soup if you’re feeling under the weather!
- Mexican Chicken Soup – Delivers zesty flavor in a comforting seasoned broth.
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup – easy and flavorful Italian inspired soup!
- Lemon Chicken Soup – versatile enough to soothe you when you catch that wintertime cold or classy-up your next dinner party.
Conclusion
The next time you’re pressed for time but want a dish that can be both fancy and cozy, I hope you reach for an Italian chicken soup recipe! It’s been a staple in my go-to grab-bag for years, and I am so excited to pass it on.
What did you make it for? Let me know in the comments!
Lindsey says
March 27, 2019 at 9:34 pmCan’t WAIT to make this, yum yum yum!
Kathleen says
March 27, 2019 at 10:28 pmI hope you enjoy! <3