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Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup

by:
February  6, 2014
3.7
61 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 4 hours
  • Makes 6 cups
Author Notes

This soup has all of the flavors of decadent Chicken Parmesan, but in a more waist-friendly vehicle. Chicken broth and crushed tomatoes are simmered with garlic, onion, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes for an aromatic base. Shredded lean chicken breast, green bell pepper, and gemelli pasta fill you up. And everything is topped with a little cheese, of course. —foxeslovelemons

Test Kitchen Notes

I'd say a good chicken Parmesan sandwich is one of life's greatest pleasures. What's not to like about chicken that's breaded and cheesed within an inch of its life and then tucked into a crusty loaf of Italian bread? A sandwich like that should be reserved for special occasions–for the mornings when getting out of bed requires the incentive of an overindulgent, borderline irresponsible lunch; or perhaps for after you've run a marathon, given birth, or engaged in some other feat of extraordinary strength and endurance.

Like my beloved sandwich, this soup finds its origins in the Italian-American classic, chicken Parmesan. Unlike the sandwich, the more refined soup easily translates into a wholesome weeknight meal. In some ways it even ups the ante–after all, it's made in a slow cooker, can be eaten with a spoon, and won't leave you with a lump in your stomach the way its other forms might. This is the chicken Parmesan that will love you back. —Julie Myers

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Ingredients
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 14 1/2 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 pound raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
  • 4 ounces uncooked dry gemelli or penne pasta
  • Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Directions
  1. In the slow cooker, stir together the garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, the cheese, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours, or on low for 7 hours.
  2. Transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board and coarsely shred them; return them to the slow cooker; stir in the pasta. Cook on high for 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente.
  3. Serve garnished with more Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.
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78 Reviews

Write a Review
Sam W. October 3, 2024
yummy!
FrugalCat May 23, 2024
Red bell pepper, boneless skinless chicken thighs, and whole wheat shell pasta. A winner!
kjacc January 23, 2023
I have a question...the recipe calls for 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes. I have found it only comes in 28 oz cans! Can you use the full can? or will that ruin the consistancy?
GreenGoddess January 25, 2023
I think I made it with 28 ounce last time, it basically just gave me more soup, I would add more parmesan, also I added more vegetables to it and added cooked pasta at the end.
ProfessorElle April 29, 2022
I created an account so that I could review this recipe! I’ve been making it for several years and it is now part of the regular rotation at our house. It’s quick and easy to make, with ingredients I usually have on hand. I do substitute dry herbs at about 1/3 the quantity, and I’ve made it with fresh or frozen chicken and vegetables. It comes out great every time.
Leila December 21, 2021
I made this base level and it was great for something that needed to be quickly thrown together. We ate it all + more, but I was thinking a scoop of ricotta would have been great / thyme. Yum AF
JESSICA September 21, 2021
Original recipe was a base, but not especially to my liking as is. Amendments to original: sautéed onion first, substituted fennel for green pepper, added red wine and tomato paste, at end of cooking added cannellini beans (no pasta)/cheese/ chopped kale.
pattyposy February 21, 2021
I added a parmesan rind (at the end of cook time) tomato paste, onion powder, fennel seed, basil, oregano and wine. I sauteed the veggies first
GreenGoddess January 18, 2021
For me this soup needs more added to it. I added carrots, celery, thyme, and a very small piece of rosemary. At the end I also added kale and green beans. Also I cooked the pasta separately and added it at the end. Wish I would have listened to the other reviewers and sauteed the onions before turning on the slow cook option. I will make this again, me and family like it.
Deborah October 13, 2020
Soup was tasty, but I absolutely second others’ recommendations to sauté the onions first and add a can of tomato paste. The crunchy onions really detract from the flavor, and without the paste the soup is really quite thin. I will make it again with these changes, though.
pattyposy September 17, 2020
I want to incorporate some suggested changes into the body of this recipe for future reference. How can I do this or can I?
Barbara A. March 31, 2020
This sounded like a great idea. It turned out to be blah. Somethings wrong. It turned out to be chicken stew and not much else. No sir, don’t like it!
Elizabeth D. October 26, 2019
I signed up for your website in order to print the slow cooker chicken parm recipe and hit print (5 times) only to discover that it will not permit me to print. Why?
Barbara A. September 19, 2020
Don’t bother. Find a recipe elsewhere. This sounds magnifique but it’s blah, blah, blah.
Marcelline Y. October 16, 2019
I added tomato paste to give it a more Italian taste. I liked it but my husband said it needed more flavor. It will be his lunch so hopefully sitting overnight will increase the flavor.
OnionRoom December 18, 2018
Good, easy, and not too expensive. Pros, very easy prep, steaming hot, and tasty. Stretches two chicken breasts to feed 6. Agree with the member who said there is a slow cooker taste to this soup. Made the recipe tonight and made some quick adjustments to avoid the default slow cooker taste. I used whole wheat pasta which I watched like a hawk as I don't like soggy pasta and this may have helped avoid the gumminess that other members mentioned with the pasta. I added a quarter cup of white wine as the recipe as is looked a little bland. I used two tablespoons of granulated onion powder instead of garlic. I increased the dry pasta to 2 cups. I increased the chicken stock to about 4 cups instead of 3 to use the entire 1- quart tetra pack. I doubled the number of fresh herbs. I will definitely make it again and next time saute the vegetables first and maybe add a squirt of condensed tomato paste to give it some more depth. Good comments about using a parm rind which I don't have and also adding cooked al dente pasta at the end especially if it is white flour pasta. I could see myself adding cooked baby potatoes to this instead of pasta in the future.
Susan December 16, 2018
I don’t know what to make of this. This recipe shows as first of best for slow cooking. Reviewers think chicken over cooked in a couple hours, veggies need separate treatment, cheese and pasta added later or cooked on side. I have been reading recipes long enough to expect a baseline and I’m not sure half these reviewers even considered it a crock pot soup. Ingredients could be tasty but sound directions on this lacking.
Russ December 16, 2018
Doubled recipe. Had to add cup extra chicken broth at end because noodles just about soaked up all the original broth. My kids actually liked it more like stew than soup. Served with garlic bread to soak up liquid at bottom of bowls. Liked it!
Faith R. December 13, 2018
This was awful. Don't waste your ingedients or day on this thing I just throw it all away. I'm actually shamed I put this on the table. If you like bad, this is for you!!!
Linda D. December 9, 2018
Thank you for a wonderful crock pot soup! I read all of the comments and sauteed the onion first, I used a whole onion, then added the pepper and crushed garlic. I used a whole, bone in chicken breast, that's what I had in my freezer, and boiled the pasta on the side. Delicious! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Rachel A. August 27, 2018
This was pretty good! Cooked the pasta separately. Added a bit of fennel seed and a splash of white wine to the slow cooker. And it was a super easy dinner that even my kids enjoyed.
ECMotherwell April 16, 2018
This was lovely! I reduced the sauce at the end, in order for it to be more of a pasta than a soup (just my family's preference). Was a big, big hit -- everyone enjoyed it. Also, it was a whiz to throw together, definitely going into my weeknight routine!