Marry Me Chicken Soup

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Creamy, dreamy Marry Me Chicken Soup! A delicious warm and hearty bowl of creamy broth loaded with tender chicken, al dente pasta, and veggies. It’s one cozy bowl of goodness!

marry me chicken soup in cast iron pot with basil on top

Looking to get a ring on that finger?

I’ve got you covered!

This is one creamy chicken soup. Dare I say, one of the best you’ll ever put in your mouth. It starts with tender veggies, grilled chicken that leaves behind all that flavor so that we can turn it into a soup base. We’ll load it up with garlic, add sun-dried tomatoes and tomato pesto, a handful of parmesan cheese, and let it all bubble away in chicken broth with some pasta.

And once the soup is done, we’ll add a generous pour of heavy cream and by the time this soup is done simmering on the stovetop, the whole family will be ready with their bowls in hand.

This marry me chicken soup recipe was developed from the ever popular Marry Me Chicken that I love serving up for Valentine’s Day and for guests when we’re entertaining.

spoon with soup, sun-dried tomatoes, and rotini pasta

Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts of chicken thighs for this recipe. If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to spend the extra time cooking the chicken in the same pot, you can always swap 1 pound of raw chicken for 2 cups of heaping rotisserie chicken that’s been shredded or diced.
Butter and Olive Oil: We’ll use these ingredients to saute our mirepoix and cook our chicken. Keep in mind that the recipe also calls for a tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. This will help give the dish a more deliciously rich tomato flavor. Use salted or unsalted butter, either will work.
Onions: I used yellow onions for this recipe however any onion or even a shallot will do.
Carrots: The carrots, celery and onions are called the mirepoix. These ingredients are cut into bite-sized pieces so that you get a little bit in each bite.
Celery: Adding the celery and carrots give the recipe a bit more bite. If you wanted to, you could even add in a handful of baby spinach towards the end. This will help bulk up the recipe.
Garlic: Fresh cloves garlic works better than garlic powder in this recipe. We’ll saute the minced garlic a bit before simmering it in the sauce. For best results, I suggest mincing the garlic yourself and skipping the stuff that comes packed in a jar!
Tomato paste + tomato pesto: both the tomato paste and tomato pesto help make the tomato flavor richer in the soup. Feel free to try my homemade tomato pesto recipe or you can use store-bought tomato pesto. It’s usually available in the same aisle as diced tomatoes and other tomato products.
Sun-dried tomatoes: I prefer to use sun-dried tomatoes that come packed in oil for this recipe. They have a much stronger flavor and will make it a tomato cream sauce as the base of the soup.
Seasonings: I add red pepper flakes for a teeny tiny kick. You’ll also need Italian seasoning. This seasoning mix contains ingredients like dried oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme.
Chicken Broth: adds flavor and allows the onions and garlic to simmer and create more flavor for the soup. Feel free o swap this for vegetable broth if that’s what you have in the pantry. Low sodium works best so that you can adjust the salt as desired at the end.
Fusilli Pasta: I like to use fussili or rotini pasta for this recipe, but any shape that you have on hand will work.
Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese helps thicken the sauce a little bit as the cream sauce simmers, and it also adds umami to the dish.
Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess to the soup and thickens it. We’re using only a 1 cup of cream. If you wanted to make this recipe dairy-free, you can swap it for equal parts coconut milk (the kind that comes in a can.)
Fresh Basil: fresh herbs used at the end to give the chicken some much-needed color and brightness!

seared chicken and sautéed veggies in cast iron pot

Making Marry Me Chicken Soup

Cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Then heat a tablespoon oil and a tbsp of butter in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts until they’re cooked through to a minimum of 160ºF. It’ll finish cooking as it rests on a plate. Once cooled, dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
Saute the aromatics. Heat the remaining butter and the tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they start to soften. Then add celery and carrots and continue to cook. Stir in the garlic and let it bloom int he oil until fragrant. You’ll add the tomato paste, tomato pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes next and let that flavor really sink into the soup. Cook for another 60 seconds so that the tomato flavor blooms in the oil. Season with red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Pour in the chicken broth, then let the soup come to a simmer.
Boil and bring out that flavor. Lower the heat to medium and add the pasta. I like to cook the noodles a couple minutes less than what’s written on the package so by the time the soup is done, the noodles aren’t overcooked. Stir in chicken and heat it through. Then stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Taste and make it to your liking. Finally, taste the soup to see if there are enough seasonings. If desired you can add more salt, cream, or parmesan to your taste. Top with chopped basil and serve warm in your favorite bowl.

marry me chicken soup in cast iron pot with wooden spoon

FAQs about this recipe

How long does this soup last in the fridge?

Leftovers are good for 3-4 days, typically. You want to store the soup in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave. I would suggest cooking the pasta separately if you anticipate leftovers as the pasta tends to soak in all the liquid as it sits!

Can I freeze this in a freezer-safe container?

With this soup having both cream and pasta, it’s best to consume within a few days and freeze a different soup instead!

Any substitutions I can make if I’m in a pinch?

You can swap out the sun-dried tomato pesto for additional tomato paste. Use dried herbs for fresh ones, and even use a different pasta shape (like bow tie, or shells.)

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Yield: Serves 6