Chicken Parmesan Soup can be on the table in about 20 minutes! It’s packed with flavor, delicious ingredients, and all the best flavors of chicken Parmesan!
author’s note
The 20-Minute Dinner That’s Saved Me Many Times!
I first shared this soup during a busy holiday season when my toddler loved taking ornaments off the tree as quickly as I could put them up. Between that & all the holiday activities, there wasn’t much time left for dinner.
That’s where this chicken parmesan soup came in. I used rotisserie chicken to skip cooking chicken from scratch, canned Italian-style tomatoes for a quick, flavorful base, & a separate pot of pasta that could cook while I worked on the soup.
Once everything was hot, I finished each bowl with plenty of cheese, fresh basil, & garlic bread for dipping. All those chicken Parmesan flavors, with a whole lot less work!
The separate pasta turned out to be especially helpful for leftovers, too. I could save the soup without the noodles soaking up all the broth, then combine them when reheating. A quick dinner with an easy lunch for later? Yes, please!
Chicken Parmesan Soup Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Rotisserie chicken | Leftover cooked chicken works, too; chop or shred it into small pieces. |
| Rotini pasta | Use another similarly sized short pasta, like small shells. Cook according to its own package directions and keep it separate until serving. |
| Italian-style diced tomatoes & tomato paste | Add the diced tomatoes with their juices. Cook the tomato paste with the aromatics for 1–2 minutes before adding liquid. |
| Chicken stock | I recommend Swanson chicken stock. |
| Parmesan & mozzarella | Freshly grated Parmesan adds lots of flavor; mozzarella gives you that melty topping. Use either or both, & add directly to the hot bowls. |
Featured Comment
“Had some fresh homemade bread and needed something wonderful to accompany it. This soup was that wonderful. Even my picky eaters enjoyed it. Thank you for such an easy and amazing soup that will be added to our regular recipes.”
– Teresa
chelsea’s recipe tip
Time-Saving Tips
To truly have a 20-minute chicken parmesan soup, there are a few short cuts I use:
- Rotisserie Chicken: Use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken for fast prep. If meal prepping, shred extra chicken ahead and store it in the fridge or freezer.
- Pre-Chopped Produce: Buy pre-diced or frozen onions and jarred minced garlic to skip chopping.
- Two Pots: Use one pot for the soup base and another for the pasta to speed up cooking time, even if it means more cleanup.
How To Make Chicken Parmesan Soup
- Cook the Pasta: Boil pasta until it’s firm but cooked. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Cook diced onion until soft, then add garlic.
- Add Tomato Paste: Mix in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Combine Ingredients: Add tomatoes, broth, and spices. Bring to a simmer.
- Add Chicken: Stir in shredded chicken and heat through. Taste and adjust.
- Serve: Pour soup into bowls, add pasta, and top with cheese and fresh basil.
Quick Tip
If you aren’t a huge fan of canned tomato chunks, try crushed tomatoes instead of diced. (Or use 1 can diced and 1 can crushed tomatoes.)
Variations
- To add a smoky flavor, use fire-roasted tomatoes. Also, use smoked paprika instead of regular.
- Add heat by sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes into the soup or individual bowls.
More Soup Recipes:
Soups And Stews
Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Soups And Stews
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
Soups And Stews
Lentil Soup Recipe
Soups And Stews
Creamy Vegetable Soup
20-Minute Chicken Parmesan Soup
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
- 3/4 cup sweet onion or yellow onion, diced (1/2 of an onion)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 3 to 4 cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes Italian-style, see note 1
- 3 cups chicken stock I recommend Swanson chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or chopped, see note 2
- Toppings as desired see note 3
Instructions
- Follow package directions to cook the rotini pasta to al dente. Don’t forget to salt the pasta water generously or the soup will taste underseasoned. I add 1 teaspoon salt to every 4 cups of water. Drain pasta, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. To save time, you can use pre-chopped onion and garlic.
- Place a large pot on the stovetop and turn to medium-high heat. Add in the oil and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until tender. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and sauté for 1–2 minutes.
- Add in the undrained diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and seasonings (parsley, Italian seasoning, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp salt). Stir to combine, increase heat to high, and bring soup to a simmer.
- Stir in the prepared rotisserie chicken and heat through, about 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference (salt and pepper here again if needed; remember Parmesan will add saltiness). See note 4.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Serve soup bowls with a generous spoonful of the pasta mixed in. Garnish bowls with lots of cheese, fresh basil, additional pepper or red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy hot with garlic bread to dip in it!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make this in a crock pot?
Hi Alyssha! I haven’t tested this in the crockpot yet, but I’ll add it to my list to try. Thanks for your comment!
Chelsea, do you have a recipe for chicken and wild rice soup that Einsteins used to make?
https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/crockpot-creamy-chicken-wild-rice-sweet-potato-soup/
My daughter asked if I could make her some comfort soup as she was feeling under the weather. I found this soup on your blog and decided this might fit the bill. Boy, did I make a good choice. I of course tasted it before driving the soup to her house. The flavors were so good and recipe was quick to make. The parmesan on top of the hot soup was devine!!! Of course she might have added more than she should but the soup was the perfect thing for someone not feeling 100%.
Ahh what a compliment I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Carol! 🙂
For the last couple days, your web site has been infected with spam and false recipe printing instructions.
Hey Mark, I’m so sorry and also concerned to hear that. Can you give me any examples so I can pass along to our tech team? I super appreciate your help–thank you!
Made this twice now. Super easy and nourishing. I used smoked paprika this time which transformed the flavour of the soup.
So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it! Thank you Amy!
Can you use Spaghetti Squash in place of rotini?
Absolutely! I even have a post on how to make “Spaghetti Squash Pasta” :https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/spaghetti-squash-with-turkey-meatballs/. I’d just cook the spaghetti squash pasta separately and add in when you’re ready to serve! 🙂
Superb! Added zucchini and home made tomato sauce, then cooked slow & low for 90 minutes to get all of the flavours! Delicious, cheers!
Had some fresh homemade bread and needed something wonderful to accompany it. This soup was that wonderful. Even my picky eaters enjoyed it. Thank you for such an easy and amazing soup that will be added to our regular recipes.
I’m so happy to hear you loved this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Superb! A distinctive hearty soup. I added zucchini, mushrooms and used a home made tomato sauce. Then cooked it all slow & low for 90 minutes overall to get those delicious flavours mixing! Cheers…
So happy to hear you enjoyed! Thanks for the comment Michael 🙂