Chicken Parmesan Soup (In 20 Minutes!)

This quick and easy Chicken Parmesan Soup can be on the table in about 20 minutes! It’s packed with flavor, good-for-you ingredients, and all the best flavors from chicken Parm!

Check out our other 20-minute soup recipes next: Easy Zuppa Toscana or this Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

My toddler never touched our Christmas tree. And to be honest I never understood when people would talk about their Christmas tree being ruined by a baby because my baby never got within two feet of it.

Flash forward to my second little boy and on the first day it was decorated, I fully commiserated with those whose babies destroyed their trees. The entire bottom two feet of the tree is bare, three new ornaments were shattered, at least six ornaments have been pulled apart, the cute fabric “Santa ornaments” now have stains from being kissed with a not-quite-clean mouth, and the berry sprigs do not look anything like sprigs anymore. I couldn’t keep him away from it!

There is always so much to do around the holidays (including redecorating the tree multiple times) which makes for busy and fun-filled days–and great memories to share years from now. These are also the days when I don’t have all that much time to cook… which is where this easy twenty-minute soup comes in. And I’m not even kidding — 20 minutes is all it takes to make this delicious Chicken Parmesan Soup!

Time-Saving Tips

To truly have a 20-minute soup, we rely on a few short-cuts, and here’s the breakdown:

• Rotisserie chicken. For the fastest possible prep time, I recommend getting rotisserie chicken meat that has already been pulled from the bones and shredded. Or if you’re a seasoned meal prepper, shred an extra chicken ahead of time, so when it comes to making this soup, you already have shredded meat ready in the fridge or freezer.
• Buy pre-chopped produce. In order to have such a quick prep time, we rely on produce short-cuts. Get pre-diced onion from the produce section of your store or frozen diced onions. Next, we’ll use jarred minced garlic. With these shortcuts, there is no chopping required!
• Two pots. To make sure we aren’t waiting for a soup to boil and then to cook the pasta in it, we use 2 pots. One will prepare the soup base while the other will cook the pasta. Slightly more clean up, but a quicker start to finish time.

Chicken Parmesan Soup Tips

• Don’t use all the pasta. It’s easy to go on autopilot and prepare an entire box of pasta. However, this recipe calls for only 2 cups, so make sure to measure that out before boiling the pasta.
• Salt the pasta water. Make sure the pasta is well-salted as it cooks since this is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta. The soup can taste very underwhelming without seasoned pasta. Read about how to properly salt your pasta water here. As a general rule of thumb, I add 1 teaspoon salt to 4 cups of water.
• Good-quality chicken stock makes a big difference. I’m a huge fan of Swanson’s® chicken stock in this Chicken Parmesan Soup (not sponsored). It has a rich flavor foundation that really enhances this soup without any extra work on your part. I’ve tried other stocks/broths and been a bit unimpressed by the end result.
• Use good-quality canned tomatoes. For the tomato paste and sauce, I recommend the best-quality tomatoes you can find, since these really form the flavor base of the soup. I recommend Italian-style tomatoes which are typically canned Roma tomatoes with herbs added in. This variety of tomato adds flavor without requiring too many additional seasonings. 
• Dice the onion very finely. The finer the dice, the better the onion integrates into the soup. Since we aren’t spending a whole lot of time sautéing the onion, we want small pieces so there aren’t large chunks of crunchy onion throughout the soup. If you’re buying pre-chopped onions, take a look at the size of the pieces and if necessary, give them a quick extra chop.

Variation Ideas

• For a smokier flavor use fire-roasted tomatoes. Additionally, use smoked paprika instead of regular.
• Add some heat by sprinkling in some crushed red pepper flakes to the soup or to individual bowls.

Chicken Parmesan Soup Toppings

The toppings for this Chicken Parmesan Soup make the soup, so don’t forget them!  

• Parmesan cheese. Using a microplane (like this one), you’ll get finely shredded Parmesan cheese that melts and integrates beautifully into the soup.
• Fresh basil. Basil adds life and flavor to the soup. Fresh basil is easy to find in the produce section of grocery stores and IMO is essential.
• Mozzarella. While we typically stick to Parmesan cheese, if you want more of a true chicken Parm flavor, add in some freshly grated mozzarella.
• Cracked pepper. A sprinkle of pepper and/or some red pepper flakes add some nice heat. If that’s not your thing, feel free to skip the pepper.
• Garlic bread. A must-have soup dipper!

More Soup Recipes

• Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup with sweet potato
• Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with lots of veggies
• Lentil Soup with fresh lemon and herbs
• Vegetable Soup with fresh basil pesto
• Potato Soup with bacon and cheese

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4.93 from 13 votes

20-Minute Chicken Parmesan Soup

By Chelsea Lords

This quick and easy Chicken Parmesan Soup can be on the table in about 20 minutes! It's packed with flavor, good-for-you ingredients, and all the best flavors from chicken Parm!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups (190g) uncooked rotini pasta
• ▢ 3/4 cup (108g) sweet (or yellow) onion diced (~1/2 of 1 onion)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic (~3-4 cloves)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) diced tomatoes Italian-style (See Note 1)
• ▢ 3 cups (705g) chicken stock (I recommend Swanson Chicken Stock)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried parsley, dried oregano
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• ▢ Fine sea salt and pepper
• ▢ 2 cups (230g) shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken (See Note 2)
• ▢ Toppings: red pepper flakes, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and/or mozzarella cheese, 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, garlic bread

Instructions 

• PASTA: 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.
• PREP: Meanwhile, finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. To save time, you can use pre-chopped onion and garlic.
• 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 in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add in the tomato paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
• TOMATOES AND SEASONINGS: 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 and increase heat to high and bring soup to a simmer.
• CHICKEN: 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 cheese will add saltiness). See Note 3.
• SERVE: 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!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I get Italian-style tomatoes which have seasonings added in. If you aren't a huge fan of chunks of tomatoes use crushed instead of diced tomatoes.

Note 2: Use part of a leftover rotisserie chicken or buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken (This is what I do for this soup which makes it even quicker.)

Note 3: I like to keep the pasta separate as opposed to mixing it all in the soup in case I have leftovers (the pasta bloats and becomes soft/soggy when stored). If you plan on eating all the soup in one day, mix all the pasta in when you add in the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 431mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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