My family loves Chicken Parmesan. I was blown away after my first taste of this hearty crockpot chicken parmesan soup. It totally lives up to its name and tastes just like classic dish but served in a soup bowl! It’s the perfect pick me up, sit down dinner during the cold rainy weather months.
Getting dinner on the table for a large family can be hard on hectic work nights.
With a big batch of soup though, I’ve got a whole meal I can feel good about serving prepared in a single pot.
That’s priceless to me. Plus, I just love soup.
So, I really don’t need much in the way of encouragement to run with it when it comes time to fix the evening meal.
Soup is a whole meal for me, and not just a whole meal but a whole year round thing.
I can acknowledge though that there are different seasons, and different flavors that go better with some than others.
You won’t catch me making a thick potato soup or a hearty beef stew in the Summer months.
I keep my soups thinner and lighter then.
When the temperature drops though, all bets are off.
It’s time to bring out the crockpot, and it’s my time to play with some of my favorite flavor combinations.
This savory crockpot chicken parmesan soup is one of my favorites!
What Is Chicken Parmesan?
So in it’s initial creation, chicken parmesan is not a soup.
It’s a chicken and pasta dish that was popularized by Italian American immigrants.
Basically, it’s breaded chicken breast that’s smothered in a seasoned tomato sauce with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top.
It’s simple food, but so good.
Which is exactly what our family loves about Italian American comfort foods.
It was actually my husband’s Italian Nonna who first came up with the idea of transforming it into a soup.
She never got around to it though before she passed.
So we made it our mission to deconstruct the classic dish & get all of those flavors simmering in one soup pot.
Ingredients Needed
- garlic
- bell pepper
- crushed tomatoes
- chicken breasts
- chicken broth
- onion
- Parmesan cheese
- basil
- oregano
- red pepper flakes
- pasta
A short ingredient list featuring a lot of common ingredients!
When you combine that with the ease of crockpot cooking, is it any wonder this chicken parmesan soup is one of my all time favs?
How To Make
Everything comes together so easily.
Start by stirring together garlic, peppers, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, diced onion, and the seasonings in the bowl of your slow cooker.
Add the chicken breasts, gently pressing them down into the liquid.
I use the stirring spoon for this. No need to touch the meat, or dirty another utensil.
Cover your crockpot and set it to cook on high heat for four hours.
If you’d prefer a longer cook time, then set it for 8 hours on low heat.
Thirty minutes before your cook time is finished, use tongs to carefully remove the hot chicken from the pot.
Transfer it to a waiting cutting board.
Use two forks, or meat claws, and shred the meat.
Then return it to the bowl of the slow cooker.
Stir the uncooked pasta into the soup.
Return the lid, securing it to seal, and let the mixture cook on high heat for the remaining thirty minutes.
Once the time’s elapsed, remove the lid, and stir the soup.
Ladle it into serving bowls, and top with extra Parmesan cheese, freshly chopped basil, and croutons for garnish.
What Kind Of Pasta Is Best For This Italian Flavored Soup?
I like using farfalle, also known as bow tie noodles.
However, there are plenty of other options that make it easy to shop your own pantry shelves.
We also like using rotini, penne, or even ziti.
I’ve also used small shells, or even elbow noodles when my kids were younger.
You can’t go wrong with whatever you choose!
Chicken Breasts & Other Options
I always keep boneless, skinless breasts on hand. Mostly just because they’re so versatile.
They go great in this crockpot soup.
Still, they aren’t your only option.
Just like you shopped your pantry shelves for pasta, you can shop your freezer for chicken.
Chicken thighs work just as well in this recipe.
If they have skin on them, remove it before adding them.
If they’re the kind with bones, make sure to remove all bones from the soup before serving.
Have some rotisserie chicken you need to use up?
Chop it up and add it in the last 15 minutes while the soup’s cooking.
Just long enough to heat through and flavor the soup.
Is This Crockpot Chicken Soup Healthy
So many people love this soup, and many of them have asked me this very same question.
The answer is both yes, and no.
The soup itself is very healthy, with just chicken and basic ingredients including the seasonings.
It’s actually a diet friendly dish.
Where the extra calories will come in is with your garnishes.
So depending on your diet, just keep that in mind.
This crockpot chicken parmesan soup is a quick, easy dinner for my family in the colder months.
All the flavor we crave in the Italian American classic, but without any of the work.
It’s hearty and filling too, so nobody leaves the table hungry or with any complaints!
Other Crockpot Chicken Soup Recipes To Try
- Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
- Crockpot Chicken & Pesto Soup
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Pizza Soup
If you’ve tried this CROCKPOT CHICKEN PARMESAN SOUP recipe, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Soup
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like it spicy!
- 1 cup farfalle pasta
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley and/or croutons for garnish
Instructions
- In the bowl of your slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, 1/3 cup cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes.
- Cover and cook on high 4 hours, or on low 8 hours.
- 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board and coarsely shred; return them to slow cooker.
- Stir in the pasta. Cover, and let it continue cooking on high for the final 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and stir well.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese, chopped basil or parsley, and croutons.
Nutrition
recipe originally published January 14, 2014
recipe adapted from Foxes Love Lemons
This looks great, Meaghan. So glad you liked the recipe, and thanks for the link!
That looks so delicious, a new Comfort Food for sure!