Marry Me Chicken Soup is a creamy one-pot dinner made with seared chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, orzo, and spinach in a parmesan broth. It has all the flavor of marry me chicken in a cozy bowl of soup!
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Who doesn't love a cozy soup that feels special enough for company but is easy enough for a Tuesday?
If you've ever made "marry me chicken," you already know why people go crazy for it. That creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce is absolutely heavenly.
In case you don't know, marry me chicken was created in 2016 by an editor at Delish. She originally called it Sicilian Chicken Skillet, but when a coworker filming the recipe said they'd marry her for that chicken, the new name was born. It's also a nod to Glamour's famous "engagement chicken," a lemony roast chicken that's been credited with bringing on marriage propsals.
The thing about marry me chicken is that it works as SO much more than a skillet chicken recipe. I actually think it's even more delicious in soup form!
This Marry Me Chicken Soup takes all the same flavors as the original recipe and turns them into a big pot of soup with orzo and spinach. It's packed with flavor and made in one dish, which makes cleanup a breeze!
❤️ Why this recipe works
It has all the flavors of marry me chicken: sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, and parmesan give the soup's broth the rich, savory flavor everyone loves about the original.
It's made in one pot: I love that the chicken, broth, and orzo all cook in the same pot. No boiling pasta separately and no extra dirty dishes for the win!
The orzo makes it more hearty: it cooks right in the broth and turns this into a filling soup that works as a full and satisfying dinner.
It's quick and easy to make: most of the time involved is hands-off simmering, so it's a great weeknight option. But it's also impressive enough to serve to a crowd.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need for my marry me chicken soup recipe (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: you can use thighs if you prefer
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil
- Onion: diced
- Garlic: minced
- Sun-dried tomatoes: the kind that are packed in oil; chopped
- Tomato paste
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Orzo
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese: grated
- Spinach
- Basil: chopped
🍲 Recipe tips
- Be sure to get a good sear on the chicken. Let the pot get hot over medium-high before adding it so it browns nicely. Those browned bits on the bottom of the pot add so much flavor to the broth!
- Let the tomato paste and spices cook for a good minute as they'll combine with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to get fragrant and bring out lots of extra flavor.
- Once chicken has cooled enough to handle, you'll want to chop or shred it. I like shredded chicken best in my soups.
- You'll cook the orzo right in the soup. It'll keep softening in the hot liquid, so I like to pull it a little before it's fully done.
- Stir the cream and parmesan in until the cheese is fully melted so the broth is nice and silky.
- Add the spinach and basil last as they only need a minute or two to wilt and so the spinach stays bright green.
- Taste the soup before adding any additional salt or pepper. Between the broth and parmesan, you may not need any more salt.
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I often find soups lacking when it comes to being satisfying meals. But this one? It's chock full of goodness and makes for a completely delicious meal that barely even needs bread on the side (but I'll never say no to bread to dip in my soup!).
The broth is perfectly creamy and rich with a little tang from the sun-dried tomatoes and just a hint of heat from the red pepper flakes.
Every spoonful has tender chicken, orzo, and spinach in it. It tastes just like a bowl of marry me chicken, which is exactly what I was going for!
⏲️ How to store
You can store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The orzo will keep soaking up the broth as it sits, so you might need to add a splash of chicken broth when you reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
I don't generally recommend freezing cream-based soups.
🎉 Variations on recipe
I love this recipe as is because it takes the basic ingredients of marry me chicken and adds just a couple things to bulk it up and make it more satisfying.
But there are so many changes and additions you can make to this soup, while still staying true to the marry me chicken flavor profile.
Here are some ideas:
- Swap the orzo for mini cheese tortellini. Or your favorite pasta shape.
- Try gnocchi instead of orzo for a heartier soup.
- Use chicken thighs instead of breasts for richer, juicier chicken.
- Use rotisserie chicken to save time. You'll skip the searing step and stir the chicken in with the cream.
- Swap the chicken for Italian sausage, browned and crumbled or sliced.
- Swap the chicken for shrimp. Stir it in at the end of cooking time and simmer just until pink.
- Swap the spinach for chopped kale and give it an extra couple of minutes to wilt.
- Add a splash of white wine after the garlic and spices for a deeper flavor.
- Leave out the red pepper flakes for a milder soup or add more if you like heat.
- Stir in a few tablespoons of pesto at the end.
- Add cannellini beans or chickpeas for extra protein.
- Make it lower-carb by skipping the orzo and stirring in cauliflower rice at the end.
- Add sliced mushrooms with the onion.
- Swap the heavy cream for half-and-half for a lighter soup.
- Use cream cheese instead of heavy cream for a tangier soup.
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the chicken for a vegetarian soup (I recommend using beans instead!).
🥘 More cozy dinner recipes
Chilly weather calls for cozy dinners! I have lots of recipes that are perfect for warming up and bringing comforting vibes. Here are some of my faves:
If you want something to serve on the side, I recommend a simple kale salad.
🙋♀️ FAQ
Would you call me crazy if I said I actually enjoy this marry me chicken soup better than the original skillet recipe?
It's now fully integrated into my fall dinner rotation and is also a dish I'll be making when I want to bring comfort to loved ones.
It's creamy, cozy, and made in one pot, which is exactly what I want on a chilly weeknight.
Bonus points if it brings on a marriage or two!
📖 Recipe
Marry Me Chicken Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (can use thighs if preferred)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ¼ cup basil chopped
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium, add onion, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and let mixture get fragrant for about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Add orzo and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes.
- Shred (or chop) chicken and return it to the pot. Stir in heavy cream and parmesan until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Add spinach and basil and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
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