Sicilian Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has never been easier! Warm up with a huge bowl on a cold winter day. All from scratch with tender chunks of veggies, ditalini pasta, and shredded chicken.
This sicilian chicken soup is inspired by Carrabba’s chicken soup recipe and pairs phenomenal with crusty bread or a light veggie pasta, such as 20-Minute Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Spinach.
Carrabba’s Chicken Soup
There is no doubt that we are a HUGE soup loving family. I grew up eating soups and borscht as a kid. It was a staple in our household. Now I make soup for my own kids pretty much year round.
In the colder months, I like to make broccoli cheddar soup, chicken stew with butternut squash, and creamy chicken chili. In the warmer months, I stick to lighter soups, such as chicken orzo soup recipe. All three of my kids absolutely love soup so that gives me even more motivation to make it.
This Italian chicken soup recipe is somewhat in between. It’s inspired by Carrabba’s Mama Mandola’s Chicken Soup Recipe. Made with chunky veggies, shredded chicken, and plenty of delicious homemade broth.
The best part is that it’s a dump and go type of recipe. Basically, you load up your soup pot with all the ingredients and let your stovetop do all the work. It does not get easier than that!
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – you want bone-in-skin-on thighs. If you were going to splurge on anything in this recipe, splurge on good quality chicken. I like to buy organic or pasture-raised chicken whenever I can. That way you’ll get the best flavor out of the chicken.
- Veggies – onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and potatoes
- Canned Tomatoes – no salt diced tomatoes are what you want. If using salted tomatoes cut down on salt.
- Aromatics – dry bay leaves and fresh garlic
- Chicken Stock – I love using a combination of store chicken stock plus water to make a quick soup. Just make sure it’s low-sodium, otherwise, you’ll have to cut down on salt.
- Salt – it’s very important to season the soup well from the start since everything basically gets added in at the same time. See my detailed note in the recipe about the salt.
- Pasta – ditalini pasta is typically used in rustic Italian soups. A good substitute would be tubetti or orzo pasta.
- Parsley – fresh parsley is ideal. Don’t like parsley? Try fresh basil.
How Do You Make a Good Soup?
It all starts with chicken. Preferably high quality organic, pasture-raised, or grass-fed chicken.
I personally love to use an entire chicken for homemade broth when possible. However, when I’m in the rush, bone-in-skin-on chicken thighs are my go-to.
Chicken thighs cook quickly and the meat is always tender. So you can use them to make the broth and then shred the meat to use in soup.
The broth is always perfect with just the perfect amount of body and savory flavor.
How to Make Sicilian Chicken Soup
Step 1: In a large soup pot, at least 6-quart, combine the chicken, onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic, stock, and water.
Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered until chicken is tender about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Add pasta to the soup and continue cooking for 13-15 minutes, partially covered, until pasta is tender.
Step 3: Shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return shredded chicken to the pot. At this point, the soup will almost be done.
Step 4: Discard the bay leaves. Stir in parsley and serve.
Katya’s TIP: Love thicker chicken soup? Simply put a tablespoon of flour into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.
More Ways to Add Flavor
Add more flavor to your chicken soup by adding dried parsley, onion powder, or garlic powder. I recommend adding 1/2 to 1 full teaspoon.
Another great way to add more flavor is to add a splash of vinegar (any kind) or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
What Goes With Chicken Soup for Dinner?
The possibilities are endless when it comes to serving chicken soup. My simple go-to is always soup with some crusty sourdough garlic bread or gluten free cheese bread.
Or you can definitely make a complete meal out of the soup with some of these satisfying sides:
- Avocado Egg Salad – serve it on a crusty piece of bread.
- Avocado Caesar Salad with Cucumbers – this salad is so crisp and fresh. Feel free to add more veggies to it.
- Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries – it’s the ultimate fall/winter salad. Loaded with so many colorful fresh veggies.
- Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash – it’s so cheesy and satisfying!
- Hummus Veggie Sandwich – you can’t go wrong with a soup and sandwich combo.
Video: How to Make Sicilian Chicken Soup
More Chicken Soup Recipes
- Chicken Split Pea Soup
- Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
More Favorites from Little Broken
Sicilian Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Chicken soup has never been easier! Warm up with a huge bowl on a cold winter day. All from scratch with tender chunks of veggies, ditalini pasta, and shredded chicken. Yum!
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in-skin-on chicken thighs, 2 pounds
- 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup
- 3 celery ribs, chopped, about 2 cups
- 3 medium carrots, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium russet potatoes (1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt diced tomatoes
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 (32. oz) carton low-sodium chicken stock
- 4 cups water (or chicken stock)
- 1/2 cup dry ditalini pasta
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, at least 6-quart, combine chicken, onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, and salt.
- Add chicken stock and water. Season to taste with black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and easily falling off the bones. Remove chicken from the pot with a pair of tongs.
- Add pasta to the soup and continue cooking for 13-15 minutes, partially covered, until pasta is tender. Don’t forget to stir the soup couple times so the pasta does not stick.
- Meanwhile shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return shredded chicken to the pot. At this point, the soup will almost be done. Taste the veggies, especially the potatoes for doneness.
- Discard the bay leaves. Stir in parsley and serve.
Notes
- Chicken: Another option is to use chicken drumsticks. I do not recommend chicken breast for this recipe.
- Salt: I’m always hesitant to indicate the amount of salt in recipes since not all salt is created equal. But it’s really important that this soup is seasoned well. I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and then tasting the soup before adding the pasta. If it’s lacking salt, add a little more to taste.
- Spiciness: Carrabba’s chicken soup recipe has a spicy taste to it. If you like, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper to the soup for a spicy taste.
- Original recipe: Original recipe that I published in 2015 called for split chicken breast. However, after re-testing the recipe numerous times I found that it was lacking some flavor. Therefore the new and improved recipe is made with bone-in chicken thighs. The rest of the recipe did not change.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 177.3 mg
- Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.9 g
- Protein: 34.7 g
- Cholesterol: 103.4 mg
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and love it. I especially love it because my family are decendants of Carrabba’s which makes this recipe even more special. Thanks again!
That’s so great! Thank you Kim.
I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by this recipe but had everything on hand and was craving soup and grilled cheese. This soup was amazing!! Im so thankful there’s a little leftover for tomorrow. I used 4 cups of homemade chicken broth (Only added a little water at the end) and simmered that with 5 frozen chicken tenders while sautéing the veggies. I left out the potato and used elbow noodles, shredded the chicken and tossed everything together until the noodles were done. Fabulous!!! Definitely a winner.
Thank you!
Great recipe for a delicious soup. Relatively quick and easy to prepare.
Thank you!
Do you brown the chicken and veggies first or throw it all in?
No need to brown. You throw everything at once.
This soup is absolutely delicious !! My entire family loves it (teenage boys and all) and it has become one of my weekly regulars. I was just wondering if you had any ideas on how I can spice it up a bit. I’ve used the green chili peppers but I wasn’t a fan. Any ideas would be appreciated!!
Thanks again for the recipe! ????????????????
Thank you Michelle! So happy to hear that. You can always add cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, or serve the soup with thinly sliced jalapeno peppers for some spice.
Ok, my secret ingredient, a can of Fire Roasted Rotel tomatoes and green chilis, it’s so good! I use it in place of the regular canned tomatoes. I also season the chicken with cayenne pepper as well. Such a savory/spicy broth. I love it!
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this forever. I was a bit squeamish about using chicken thighs but knew I needed them for the flavor. I simply use the whiter parts of the meat when I put it back into the soup. I’ve also used whatever bell pepper is available – it’s great with red, orange or yellow too. Highly recommend this recipe! I’ve made it several times now.
Thank you for a positive review. So glad you love the soup.
Excellent recipe! Did not change a thing! My entire family loved it!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Teri.
This was a great recipe! I made it with a few alterations and it was delicious. I caramelized the carrots, onions and garlic with some dried parsley, basil and oregano and added them in at the end with the shredded chicken.
Also used fresh grated tomatoes with no skins and a little bit of tomato sauce. Would likely throw in some spicy red peppers next time as well.
It sounds delicious! Thank you for feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed the soup.
Used homemade chicken stock made from chicken paws for all the liquid (low-sodium) and added a can of drained cannellini beans.
Great recipe! Made it for family during a blizzard and it was gone in a flash!
Thanks!
Yum! That sounds delicious. Thanks for your feedback.
Did you include the tomato juice from the can? Or just the tomatoes?
All of it…tomatoes and juice.
Absolutely delicious! Forgot about the bell pepper but still turned out amazing! Will be making this again!
That’s so great! Thank you for your review.
This is my favorite chicken soup recipe – so much flavor! I use a little less salt, and I also use red potatoes (so I don’t have to take the time to peel them and can just dice them up skin on). Thanks for sharing!
What a great idea! Thank you Michelle. So happy to hear you enjoy this soup.
I use a container of Little Potato Company potatoes, I usually cut them in half, but this time I’m going to leave them whole, they’re pretty small.
Can I used leftover cooked Turkey from Thanksgiving that I had frozen
Is it bone in? Then it could possibly work. You want the flavor from bone in meat, otherwise, the soup will be lacking flavor.
This came out perfect! I used fire roasted tomatoes instead of plain and substituted corn for potatoes. Omitted bell pepper. Going to try this with 2 Chicken Breasts w/ Ribs next time – they’re my go to for anything shredded! And they yield more white meat.
How do you make this with a whole chicken? How long do you cook it? And is everything else the same?
You can make it with whole chicken but you’ll need to cut the chicken into pieces and use 2 pounds of it. I think most whole chickens on the market range around 4 pounds. Everything else is the same. If you’re using breast for the soup, just check on it. Depending on size it might require a little less or more cooking time.
Crap I just added the Italian parsley in the beginning instead of the end. I hope it still turns out ok!
You should be totally fine!
This sounds delicious! Would it be okay with boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
You might lack little flavor with boneless thighs but I think they’ll work.
Absolutely delicious! And so easy. Thank you!
Thank you!!!
Can you make this in the slow cooker?
I think it can totally work, however, I’ve never tried this specific recipe so I can’t answer with certainty as far as timing, etc.
Can I freeze this after I make it? Just not sure how the pasta will hold up after being frozen.
You definitely can. The pasta will probably be a little soft but should taste fine.
Looks amazing! Question, do I cook the chicken first or am I adding uncooked?
You add raw chicken. It will cook with the veggies.