Description
Marry Me Chicken Soup is a creamy, flavorful soup featuring tender chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, tortellini, and fresh spinach in a rich, seasoned broth enhanced with white wine, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. This comforting dish is perfect for a hearty lunch or dinner and delivers a delightful balance of savory and slightly sweet flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasonings
- 1 ¼ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
Soup Base
- ¾ cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc recommended)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 (8 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil reserved
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon basil
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
Finishing Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 10 oz. refrigerated tortellini (about 2 heaping cups)
- 3 cups packed baby spinach
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove the chicken and let rest for 10 minutes, then dice into bite-sized pieces. Turn off the heat.
- Deglaze pot with wine: Add the white wine to the soup pot and turn the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and loosen any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pot to enrich the flavor.
- Sauté onions: Add butter and diced onion to the pot and cook for 10 minutes until the wine is reduced by half and the onions are softened.
- Add tomatoes and seasonings: Drain and pat dry the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir them into the pot along with minced garlic, tomato paste, basil, oregano, parsley, Dijon mustard, and honey. Cook while stirring continuously for 5 minutes to combine flavors.
- Add broth and blend: Pour in the chicken broth and dissolve the chicken bouillon cube. Stir well and use an immersion blender to blend the broth until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree.
- Simmer chicken: Bring the blended soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the diced chicken and any resting juices back to the pot. Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not allow boiling to avoid toughening the chicken.
- Incorporate cream and cheese: Lower heat to low and let the soup cool for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the heavy cream followed by the grated Parmesan cheese until well combined and creamy.
- Cook tortellini: Add the refrigerated tortellini to the soup and simmer partially covered until the pasta is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Optionally, boil tortellini separately and add to bowls at serving time to maintain texture for leftovers.
- Wilt spinach and serve: Stir in the baby spinach during the last minute of cooking until wilted. Serve the soup hot and enjoy!
Notes
- For best wine flavor, use Sauvignon Blanc; Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio are good alternatives. You may substitute with chicken broth if avoiding alcohol.
- Dijon mustard and honey add subtle complexity without dominating the flavor.
- Use refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini like RANA or your favorite variety.
- Adding a Parmesan or Romano rind during simmering enhances depth of flavor; discard rind before serving.
- Grate fresh Parmesan cheese from a wedge for superior melt and flavor over pre-grated cheese.
- Fresh garlic cloves are preferred over jarred minced garlic for better taste.
- For leftovers, store soup and tortellini separately; wait to add tortellini until reheating to prevent sogginess.
- This soup freezes well. Freeze the soup base without tortellini and add freshly cooked tortellini upon serving.
- Try pairing this soup with Marry Me Chicken or Marry Me Chicken Pasta for a complete meal experience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
