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About This Recipe
If you’ve ever tried the viral marry me chicken recipe and thought, “can this get any better?”, then you’re in for a treat with this delicious soup version! This creamy, savory soup is everything you love about the original recipe but in a perfect bowl of comfort!
The combination of flavors in this soup is nothing short of irresistible. Tender chicken is mixed with a creamy, acidic tomato broth with fresh spinach and tangy parmesan cheese. Plus, the best part is it’s super easy, all in one pot and in just 30 minutes.
Oh and did I mention the gnocchi? A lot of marry me chicken soup recipes use pasta (and you totally can!) but I think the tender, pillowy potato gnocchi really take this soup to the next level! Just like in my creamy chicken gnocchi soup, the gnocchi serve as the perfect compliment to the tender chicken bites and creamy tomato broth.
Serve this creamy chicken soup with a side of crusty bread or a side salad! For more delicious soup recipes, try my easy tomato soup, lasagna soup or creamy chicken and noodle soup!
Why You’ll Love This Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe
- Incredible flavor! The flavor is so balanced and delicious that it’s hard to stop at just one bowl.
- One pot! Make this creamy soup easily in one pot for easy clean up.
- Quick and easy! Have this soup ready in just 35 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights!
- Great meal prep option! The bold flavors deepen as it sits, so you can make a big batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy it for several days
- Ultimate comfort food! This soup is seriously so cozy and satisfying! The whole family is guaranteed to love it!
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breast. You could also use chicken tenderloins or chicken thighs. Or, if you want to save time use pre-shredded or leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Sundried tomatoes: Make sure to use the sun-dried tomatoes in a jar. You will use both the tomatoes and oil from the jar.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in my recipes. If using salted butter you can just reduce or omit the additional salt.
- Onion: yellow onion or white onion both work. I typically buy the chopped frozen onions for soups for a time saving hack!
- Garlic: fresh minced garlic or frozen cubes both work great.
- Tomato paste: I like to buy the kind in the squeeze container so I don’t have to worry about storing extras from a can.
- Seasonings: grab some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning!
- Chicken broth: I use a combination of chicken broth and water. You could also use chicken stock, vegetable broth or bone broth for additional protein.
- Potato gnocchi: You can find this at your grocery store on the pasta aisle. It may also be in the refrigerated pasta section.
- Heavy cream: To give this soup a nice, creamy consistency. You can also use half and half or coconut milk for a dairy-free version.
- Fresh spinach: You could also sub for kale!
- Parmesan cheese: freshly shredded is best! For even more flavor, toss the parmesan rind in your pot!
- Pasta: If you don’t have gnocchi, you can use your favorite pasta (or even chopped potatoes)
- Veggies: Throw any additional veggies in that sound good! Try mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, celery, etc.
- Spice: If you like a kick of heat, you can add a dash or red pepper flakes.
- Fresh herbs: Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley or fresh basil on top for a burst of fresh flavor.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and cut into 1/2-3/4-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or deep heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken in a single layer without touching (cook in batches if needed).
2. Saute until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the butter, onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the tomato paste, chopped sun dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning; stir until onions are coated.
5. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the gnocchi and cook for 2-4 minutes or until cooked through and floating to the top.
7. Stir in the heavy cream, baby spinach, grated parmesan and cooked chicken.
8. Taste soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add a little sugar if needed to balance acidity. Serve hot with a sprinkle of extra parmesan and a few cracks black pepper and enjoy!
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To freeze, let soup cool completely. Then store in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
The soup will absorb some of the broth as it sits so feel free to add a little bit of chicken broth (or water) to thin it back out to your desired consistency.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t overcook the gnocchi: Gnocchi can become mushy if they are overcooked, so make sure to add them right at the end. You’ll know they’re done when they float to the top of the soup.
- Adjust consistency: You can adjust the thickness of the broth to your desired consistency by adding a little bit of extra water or broth if it’s too thick. If it’s too thin, let it simmer for a little bit longer or add a little more heavy cream.
- Cook gnocchi separately: If you plan on cooking this soup for meal prep and don’t want the gnocchi to absorb too much of the broth, you can cook the potato gnocchi separately then add to your individual bowls as desired.
Can I make this soup in advance?
Yes! I always think soup taste better than next day. I do recommend keeping the soup and gnocchi separately if prepping in advance to make sure the gnocchi doesn’t absorb too much of the broth. However, you can also go ahead and add it and just add additional broth or water if you need to thin out the consistency.
Can I use pasta instead of gnocchi?
Yes, you can easily sub the potato gnocchi for any small pasta. I seriously love gnocchi in any type of recipe (like this Chicken Gnocchi Soup) but if you prefer pasta you can easily use it instead!
Can I use a slow cooker to make this soup?
Yes! You can use a slow cooker or Crockpot to make this soup. Simply add the ingredients (except for the gnocchi, heavy cream, spinach and parmesan ) and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Once the chicken is done, take out and shred. Place chicken back in crockpot and add the gnocchi about 30 minutes before serving. Once gnocchi is done (will float to the top), add spinach, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Marry Me Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb. boneless chicken breast
- 1/2 tsp each salt & black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (30g) *from sun dried tomatoes jar
- 1 Tbsp butter (14g)
- 1 small yellow onion (160g) chopped
- 4 small cloves garlic minced
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste (62g)
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (42g) drained & chopped
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 5 cups/40 oz. chicken broth I used 24 oz. broth & 16 oz. water
- 12 oz. potato gnocchi mini or regular
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (80g)
- 3 cups baby spinach (85g) torn or roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan (14g) plus more for serving
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Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and cut into 1/2-3/4-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or deep heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken in a single layer without touching (cook in batches if needed). Saute until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the butter, onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
- Add the tomato paste, chopped sun dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning; stir until onions are coated. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the gnocchi and cook for 2-4 minutes or until cooked through and floating to the top.
- Stir in the heavy cream, baby spinach, grated parmesan and cooked chicken. Taste soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add a little sugar if needed to balance acidity.
- Serve hot with a sprinkle of parmesan and a few cracks black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
