Description
Marry Me Chicken Soup is a creamy, flavorful, and comforting 30-minute dinner featuring tender chicken, sundried tomatoes, pasta, and baby spinach in a rich broth enriched with heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups small-shape pasta (uncooked) such as orecchiette, ditalini, or farfalle
To Add at the End
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Sauté Onion: Heat a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, diced onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Spices and Tomato Paste: Sprinkle the onion with granulated garlic powder and dried thyme. Cook for about one minute until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 30 seconds while stirring to combine.
- Add Liquids and Chicken: Pour in the chicken stock and 2 cups filtered water, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, sugar, chopped sundried tomatoes, and cooked chicken. Cover the pot and bring to a rolling boil.
- Cook Pasta: Add the small-shape uncooked pasta to the boiling soup and stir to prevent sticking. Cover the pot, reduce heat to a strong simmer, and cook until the pasta is just tender, about 8-15 minutes depending on pasta type. Uncover and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Finish Soup: Turn off the heat. Uncover and stir in the heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar, and baby spinach. Stir to combine and allow the spinach to wilt. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed before serving.
Notes
- Thyme is the herb used in the original dish, but you can substitute no-salt-added Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning if preferred.
- One 6-oz can of tomato paste is approximately 10 tablespoons. If using concentrated tomato paste from a tube, adjust the amount according to concentration level.
- Tested pasta shapes include orecchiette, ditalini, and farfalle. Ditalini holds its shape best. Avoid large pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni, as they absorb too much liquid. Monitor cooking time closely depending on pasta size to prevent overcooking or sticking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 387
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 781mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 84mg
