Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian-American dish that is beloved by many. The crispy breaded chicken cutlet topped with tomato sauce and ooey-gooey melted cheese is hard to resist. But what if you could capture those quintessential Chicken Parm flavors in soup form? Well, now you can with this easy Chicken Parmesan Soup recipe!
This soul-warming soup brings together all the components of Chicken Parmesan, from the herb-seasoned chicken to the rich tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. The result is a cozy, comforting soup that is perfect for chilly nights. Adults will love this updated rendition of an old favorite, while kids will enjoy the fun pasta shapes and cheesy deliciousness.
History of Chicken Parmesan
While Chicken Parmesan Soup is a creative spin on the traditional chicken cutlet dinner entrée, the origins of Chicken Parmesan itself have a debated history. Some sources cite its creation in the Southern Italian region of Campania, using ingredients common in the area like tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The dish was likely named “Parmesan” because Parmesan cheese was and still is a popular cheese topping.
Other sources trace Chicken Parmesan back to Italian immigrants living in America, who were inspired by the classic Italian-American dish Chicken Piccata. Using ingredients available in the US, Italian home cooks baked chicken in tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese and likely named it Parmesan after the popular grated Italian cheese.
Whatever the exact origins, Chicken Parmesan clearly combines Italian inspiration with American ingredients and ingenuity. It has become a staple menu item at Italian-American restaurants over the generations.
Benefits of Soup
While the traditional Chicken Parm makes for a hearty, satisfying dinner, turning this favorite into soup form has some excellent benefits. First, soup, in general, is an extremely comforting food that warms you from the inside out. Hot soup can literally raise the core temperature of your body, resulting in a pleasant tingling sensation.
Chicken noodle soup, in particular, has long been used as a nourishing food to feed cold, flu, and fever symptoms. Something about a steaming bowl of chicken soup seems to boost the immune system and energy levels.
This Chicken Parmesan Soup, with its herb-flavored chicken, tomato base, and pasta noodles, offers the same rejuvenating properties as classic chicken noodle soup. It’s a feel-good food that will have you relaxed and satisfied on a cold winter’s day or night.
In addition to the comforting factor, soup is also a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. Notice that the recipe calls for onions, garlic, and bell peppers in the soup’s base. But you could also add carrots, celery, spinach, kale, or any other vegetables you have on hand. Blending plenty of vegetables into the tomato broth boosts the nutrition level and creates a healthy one-pot meal.
Compared to fried Chicken Parm served with a side of pasta on a plate, this soup is a lighter meal with less heavy carbs. Yet it still delivers on the signature Chicken Parm flavors you crave thanks to the dynamic duo of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Tips for Making Chicken Parmesan Soup
Chicken Parmesan cutlets require some intermediate culinary skills. This simplified soup version is easy enough for even novice cooks. You don’t have to perfect the delicate process of breading and frying chicken cutlets. Simply chop up boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sauté the pieces until cooked through, then simmer everything together in a broth.
That said, here are some helpful tips for making this recipe successfully:
Pick the Right Pasta
While the recipe states you can use any small pasta shape like ditalini or orzo, smaller pastas work best. The miniature size allows the pasta to swell and soak up the surrounding flavors of chicken and tomato sauce as it cooks. Long strands or large pasta shells don’t work as well and may leave you with a tomato sauce that won’t cling to the noodles.
Simmer Low and Slow
Once you’ve got everything in the pot, let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes so the sauce reduces down a bit and the flavors marry. Draw it out over low heat rather than rapidly boiling. This melds the ingredients beautifully without overcooking.
Stir Frequently
As your soup simmers away, give it an occasional stir, scraping the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks or burns. This also helps evenly distribute the chicken pieces and pasta.
Finish with Cheese
Don’t skip the final step of stirring Parmesan into the hot soup before serving. This adds a layer of toasty, salty flavor. Topping each bowl with shredded mozzarella before broiling also recreates that melted cheesy effect of traditional Chicken Parmesan.
Customize It
This versatile soup is friendly to all sorts of add-ins if you want to make it your own. Beyond just vegetables, consider stirring in chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, chard, kale, or frozen peas toward the end. Infuse more flavor by adding red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, basil, oregano, or parsley. Top with extra Parmesan, fresh basil, crushed red pepper, or diced raw tomatoes.
Pairings for Chicken Parmesan Soup
A soup this hearty and vibrant demands an equally hearty accompaniment, like crusty artisan bread for dunking. The bread acts as a perfect edible utensil for scooping up every last bit of tomato broth. For gluten-free options, swaps like cooked brown rice, quinoa, or chickpea pasta make good soup pairings too.
For an authentic Italian-style soup & salad combo, serve the soup alongside a fresh, lightly dressed Caesar salad with shaved Parmesan. The two make an excellent contrast of hot and cold dishes. For kids’ sake, swap in shredded mozzarella or skip the cheese in the salad.
Come dessert time after this cheesy, tomatoey soup, opt for something sweet and simple like Italian biscotti for dipping in coffee or vin santo dessert wine. The anise cookie’s crunch makes a nice textural shift after the soft melted mozzarella and slippery pasta.
Of course, it’s hard to go wrong rounding out any Italian meal with a juicy red wine, ideally one featuring a blend of traditional Italian grape varietals like Chianti Classico. The herbal, earthy Italian red wine balances the acidity of the tomatoes and cuts through the cheesy richness beautifully.
Make-Ahead Tips
Part of what makes this soup so family-friendly is how easy it is to prepare ahead of time. Get a jumpstart on a busy weeknight by making a batch over the weekend to stock up for quick lunches and dinners all week long.
The entire soup can be made 1-2 days in advance. Let it cool completely before transferring the batch to airtight containers. It keeps well for up to 4 days refrigerated or up to 3 months in the freezer.
To serve, simply reheat individual portions on the stovetop gently until hot, stirring frequently. Or transfer reheated soup to oven-safe bowls and top with shredded mozzarella before placing under the broiler for that signature melted cheese effect. Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves just before eating.
Another shortcut is to prep and cook the soup early on in the day when you have more time to simmer the sauce slowly. Let it cool, then keep covered in the fridge. When mealtime nears, gently reheat and finish by stirring in the cheese and pasta within the last 5 minutes so the noodles don’t get mushy.
Even quicker, you can make the tomato sauce base up to a week ahead and freeze it. Thaw the sauce when ready to use, then simply stir in the pasta and shredded chicken to cook together briefly. Top bowls of the finished soup with the shredded mozzarella and mozzarella before serving.
More Chicken Parmesan Recipes to Try
If you love Italian-American flavors, don’t stop at just this Chicken Parmesan Soup recipe! Chicken Parm lends itself beautifully to all kinds of dishes beyond the traditional chicken cutlet dinner. Try out these other creative recipes celebrating the flavors of breaded chicken, melted cheese, and zesty tomato sauce:
Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake – Replace a classic lasagna with layers of tomato sauce mixed with penne pasta, sliced chicken parm, spinach, and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Customize with your favorite veggies or Italian herbs and bake until hot and bubbly.
Chicken Parmesan Grilled Cheese – Butter the outside of thick Italian bread slices and fill with tomato sauce, a chicken parm cutlet, basil leaves, and sliced mozzarella cheese for an epic tomato-saucy twist on grilled cheese.
Chicken Parm Burgers – Add crumbled chicken parm cutlets to ground beef or turkey then mix with an egg, Italian breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes before shaping into patties and grilling. Top with tomato sauce, basil leaves, and slices of fresh mozzarella cheese.
Baked Ziti with Chicken Parmesan – In a casserole dish, alternate layers of cooked ziti, chicken parm, spinach, tomato sauce mixed with chopped zucchini or eggplant, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella.
Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells – Fill large pasta shells with a ricotta, egg, and spinach filling studded with bits of chicken parm, then cover with tomato sauce and mozzarella before baking until bubbly.
Chicken Parmesan Pizza – Top pizza dough with diced chicken parm chunks, tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms, spinach leaves, black olives, and a blend of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
So pull up a spoon and dig into this very first Chicken Parmesan Soup recipe, made easy just for you. The entire family will adore this creative, craveable spin on classic Chicken Parm. Mangia!
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Chicken Parmesan Soup
This recipe is perfect for a cozy dinner and is sure to be a hit with both adults and children alike.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup small pasta (like ditalini or orzo)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and bell pepper (if using), cooking until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Cook the Chicken:
Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Add the chicken to the pot and cook until browned and no longer pink inside, about 5-7 minutes.
Simmer the Soup:
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, stirring to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
Add Pasta:
Add the pasta to the pot and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes, depending on the size and type of pasta.
Final Touches:
Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and well incorporated.
If the soup is too thick, adjust the consistency with a little more chicken broth or water until you reach your desired thickness.
Serve:
Ladle the soup into bowls.
Top each serving with a generous sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese and more Parmesan cheese.
Place under the broiler for a minute or two, just until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden (optional).
Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
