Italian Chicken Soup is a yummy, hearty, chicken soup with Italian flavor! It’s just like the classic chicken noodle with tomatoes, pesto, and lots of cheese!
I swear I just woke up from a fog and all of a sudden it was November. Not to mention Thanksgiving is officially ONE week away. Call that fog motherhood. And yes, Thanksgiving is really one week away! While everyone else seems to be sharing healthy green bean casseroles and their favorite holiday stuffing, I’m worried about what I’m making for dinner tonight and tomorrow. And you know what? Lately it’s been a big of pot of soup! Like this one: Italian Chicken Soup.
Essentially Italian chicken soup is just like a chicken noodle soup, except the secret is in the sauce! Or broth. Like most of my soup recipes, I made this one up as I went along, and found a punch of flavor in a few tablespoons of store bought pesto I added. The boys enjoyed the bowtie pasta and the marinara-esc broth, oh and the handful of Parmesan cheese that ended up in their bowls. Me? I scooped up extra chicken! Which just so happened to be of the shredded variety made right in the broth.
If you wanted to make this soup even easier, you could take a tip from my make-ahead meal ideas and make the chicken ahead of time and freeze a batch. Then once the broth has simmered, you throw the chicken back into the pot when you add the pasta. Ok and I’m going to make your life even more easier by admitting I made this in my slow cooker, despite what the image depicts. My slow cooker has been a lifesaver this year— and the large size makes making leftovers a breeze! You could also cook the soup in a large stockpot or soup pot [my favorite that was gifted to us for our wedding… pricey but HIGHLY recommended].
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 1 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup bowtie pasta
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
- Slow cooker instructions: Add all of the ingredients except pasta to slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours. Remove chicken, shred, and add back to broth. Add pasta, cover, and turn to high heat for 30 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Stockpot instructions: Add all of the ingredients except pasta to stockpot. Cover, and cook on low for an hour. Remove chicken, shred, and add back to broth. Add pasta, cover, and turn to high heat for 30 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Think your kids don’t like soup? Take a page from my book and serve it with cheesy garlic bread… works like a charm!
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This soup looks sooooo good to me!! My kind of soup!! I’m with you about worrying about what’s for dinner and oh, I guess I need to plan Thanksgiving 🙂 Thankfully I stick to the same stuff every year 🙂