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Creamy Parmesan broth, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, tender pasta shells, and shredded chicken in every spoonful make this Marry Me Chicken Soup one you’ll want on repeat! Rotisserie chicken keeps the prep minimal, while everything cooks in one pot for an easy dinner that’s ready in just 35 minutes. A few simple flavor-building steps keep the broth tasting rich and savory without requiring a long simmer.
Why My Marry Me Chicken Soup Works So Well on a Weeknight
Marry Me chicken is known for its creamy, savory sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning. This soup takes those same bold flavors and turns them into a cozy one-pot dinner with shredded chicken, spinach, and tender pasta shells.
A soup with this much flavor usually means a long simmer or a long list of prep. I wanted all the classic Marry Me flavor without either, plus one pot to wash at the end of the night. Getting there comes down to a few simple choices.
Here’s what makes that work:
- Rotisserie chicken keeps prep minimal. There’s no raw chicken to brown or simmer. Just shred it, then stir it in near the end so it only needs a few minutes to warm through.
- I use the sun-dried tomato oil instead of plain olive oil. It gives the onions a head start on that concentrated tomato flavor and makes use of something that would otherwise stay behind in the jar.
- The tomato paste and seasonings cook before the broth goes in. Giving them a minute in the hot oil deepens the tomato flavor and wakes up the dried herbs before everything gets diluted with broth.
- The pasta cooks right in the soup. That keeps it truly one-pot and lets the shells absorb the savory broth as they cook.
- Whole milk keeps the broth creamy, not heavy. Together with the Parmesan, it gives you that rich Marry Me finish without turning the soup into a heavy cream sauce.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Rotisserie chicken. You’ll need about 2½ cups shredded. Homemade shredded chicken works too and lets you control the salt.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil. These bring that bold, concentrated Marry Me flavor. Measure the tomatoes without the oil, then save that oil for step 1.
- Low-sodium broth. The rotisserie chicken, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes all add salt, so I recommend a low-sodium broth. You can always add more salt at the end.
- Pasta shells. Bite-sized shells fit easily on a spoon and catch a little broth in every scoop. Similar small shapes work too. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and check for doneness early, since cooking times can vary.
- Whole milk. This gives the broth a creamy finish without making it as heavy as a cream-based soup. You can use 2%, 1%, or skim, but the finished broth will be a little less rich.
How to Build Big Flavor Without a Long Simmer
Soften the onions before adding the garlic. Cook the onion in the sun-dried tomato oil until it’s soft and translucent. Add the garlic only for the last minute or so so it becomes fragrant without burning.
Let the tomato paste cook before adding liquid. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and sun-dried tomatoes and give them about a minute in the hot pot. The tomato paste should darken slightly and smell richer before you pour in the broth.
Bring the broth to a simmer before adding the pasta. Once the broth is hot, add the shells and stir them occasionally so they don’t settle on the bottom. Start checking them before the package cooking time is complete and move on while they still have a little bite.
Turn the heat down before adding the creamy ingredients. Reduce the soup to a gentle simmer before stirring in the chicken, milk, Parmesan, and spinach. At this point, you’re only warming the chicken through and wilting the spinach, not continuing to boil the soup.
Season once everything is together. Taste at the very end before reaching for more salt. The rotisserie chicken, Parmesan, broth, and sun-dried tomatoes all contribute seasoning, so the soup may need less than you expect.
Keep the Pasta Tender, Not Mushy
Cooking the pasta right in the soup is what makes this a one-pot dinner, but it’s also the one thing to keep an eye on. The shells keep cooking after you lower the heat, and they keep soaking up broth as the soup sits. After a mushy soup fail, these are the ways I keep the pasta from getting too soft:
- Remember that al dente isn’t the finish line. The pasta will continue cooking while you stir in the chicken, spinach, milk, and Parmesan, so it should still have a little bite when you move on to the final ingredients.
- Serve it while it’s nice and brothy. The shells start soaking up liquid almost immediately. If the soup sits before serving and gets thicker than you like, stir in another splash of broth.
- Keep the pasta separate for serious meal prep. If you’re making the soup specifically for several days of leftovers, cook the shells separately and add them to each portion as you reheat it. The pasta stays much firmer that way.
More easy weeknight soup recipes
Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup with Pasta
Equipment
- 6-8 quart soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil , *or sun dried tomato oil
- ⅓ onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2.5 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt , *add more to taste
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tsp Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, diced roughly, *In oil but do not add the oil to the measuring
- 7-8 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 10 oz pasta shells, uncooked , about 2- 2.5 cups dry
- 2.5 cups shredded chicken , I use rotisserie chicken
- 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup parmesan, grated , *optional
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium high heat. Add in the diced onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Add the garlic in next.
- Next, add in the tomato paste, seasonings and the sun dried tomatoes. Stir in, let everything bloom (sauté and open up in flavor) for about 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth, bring it to a boil, add in the dry pasta. Cook over medium heat until the pasta is al dente (about 15 – 20 minutes) *Do not over cook it, it will continue to cook throughout the process.
- Bring the soup down to a simmer once pasta is close to finished. Add in the chicken, spinach, parmesan and milk. Let it warm up for a few minutes and serve while hot. Garnish with parmesan. * If you want a more brothy soup, feel free to add more broth if desired.
Notes
- Pasta: Cook the shells just until al dente. They’ll continue softening in the hot broth as the soup finishes.
- Broth consistency: The pasta absorbs more liquid as the soup sits, so leftovers will be thicker. Add a splash of chicken broth when reheating until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Meal prep: For the best pasta texture, make the soup base ahead and add the pasta when you’re ready to serve. You can also cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the soup base before adding the pasta and milk. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat gently, then add the pasta and finish the soup fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you love this recipe!
SO GOOD! and it comes together so quickly. Almost no chopping, which makes it a quick weeknight soup for the family.