Craving comfort food with big flavor? This Marry Me Chicken Soup is ready in under an hour and has the bold flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, and parmesan cheese in a creamy soup!

marry me chicken soup in a large pot, surrounded by bowls of parmesan cheese, basil, garlic.

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❤️️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Big, bold flavors. Today, we're taking my fan-favorite Marry Me Chicken Pasta and turning it into a creamy, cozy soup! It's loaded with lots of big flavors, like sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
Easy to make. This stovetop recipe is ready in under an hour, but will taste like you've been simmering it all day.

🥣 Ingredients

8.5 oz jarred sun-dried tomatoes - We'll use both the oil and the tomatoes from this jar. I love cooking with sun-dried tomato oil - it infuses so much flavor into the dish!
½ large onion - I recommend finely dicing this onion; nobody likes to bite into a big chunk of onion in their soup.
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts - You'll need to chop these into 1" (bite-sized) pieces before making your soup. If you're in a time crunch, you can also use 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
seasonings - In this soup, we're using 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and (optional) ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
2 cloves garlic - Same idea as the onion; make sure to finely mince the garlic so you don't get a big chunk in your dish.
4 cups chicken broth - If you have chicken stock on hand, that's even better!
3oz tomato paste - This will thicken the soup slightly and give it a great tomato-y twang.
8 oz cream cheese - It will help your cream cheese melt more smoothly if it's already at room-temperature.
2 cups half & half - Want an even richer soup? Use heavy cream instead of half and half.
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese - Trust me - buy your own block of parmesan and grate it yourself! I know it's a pain, but it melts so much better than the pre-shredded stuff.
2 cups fresh spinach
½ cup fresh basil leaves - You'll want to roughly chop these before adding to your soup.

Additions & Variations

Make this an even heartier dish by adding a small, cooked pasta (like elbows, ditalini, or small shells) just before serving.
Go vegetarian by skipping the chicken - it will still be a super hearty soup!
Add in more veggies, like mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, or celery. I'd recommend about a pound of any given veggie.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Marry Me Chicken Soup

cooking chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and onion in a large pot.

adding cream cheese and half & half to the soup.

adding cheese, basil, and spinach to the soup.

Heat 2 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, toss in your ½ of a chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it’s nice and browned.
Add the 1.5 pounds chopped chicken breasts to the pot, seasoning it with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. About a minute before it’s done, stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic and an 8.5oz jar of drained sun-dried tomatoes.
Pour in a splash of chicken broth, letting it bubble for a few seconds. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up those tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add the rest of the chicken broth, 3oz of tomato paste, and lower the heat to medium-low.
Once the broth is gently bubbling, stir in 8oz cream cheese and 2 cups of half & half until the cream cheese melts completely. Let the soup simmer on low for 20-30 minutes, giving all those flavors time to blend.
Five minutes before serving, mix in 2 cups of fresh spinach, ½ cup of fresh chopped basil leaves, and ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a little extra parmesan. Enjoy!

Alternate Cooking Directions: Crock Pot

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ½ of a chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant.
Stir in 1.5 pounds of chopped chicken breasts, seasoning with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. About a minute before it’s done, add 2 minced garlic cloves and an 8.5oz jar of drained sun-dried tomatoes.
Deglaze the pot with a splash of chicken broth, letting it bubble for a few seconds. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom using a wooden spoon.
Pour the entire chicken mixture into a Crock Pot. Turn it to low heat and add 8oz cream cheese, 2 cups of half-and-half, the remaining chicken broth, and 3oz tomato paste.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Ten minutes before serving, add 2 cups of fresh spinach, ½ cup of chopped basil leaves, and ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese. Stir well.
Serve soup topped with a sprinkle of the remaining parmesan.

📺 Step-by-Step Recipe Video

❄️ Leftovers & Storage

STORAGE: Make sure to store your soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container. There are big flavors in this soup that will very easily seep into your other foods! I recommend enjoying this one within 3-4 days of originally making it.

REHEATING: You can reheat single servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring well before serving. It's also perfectly fine to reheat a full pot over medium-low heat.

FREEZING: This is the perfect soup to freeze! Simply make as directed, cool, and pour into a gallon-sized freezer bag. When you're ready to enjoy it again, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight.

🥖 What to Serve with Marry Me Chicken Soup

Keep it simple - this is already a meal on its own, so there's no need to add a lot of complicated side dishes! It's great with a nice crusty bread or a simple side salad. Other options...

Garlic bread
Dinner rolls
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Garlic breadsticks

holding a spoonful of marry me chicken soup.

💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks

For a really pretty presentation, save a little bit of the chopped basil to top your soup servings. You can also sprinkle a little bit of red pepper flakes over the soup to make it extra mouthwatering!
This soup tends to get a little thick after refrigerating. If this happens, you can add a generous splash of water and stir well to thin the soup.

More Great Creamy Soups

I hope this soup makes a permanent spot in your winter dinner rotation! If you give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think - just rate ⭐️ and review 💭 it in the comments below!

Marry Me Chicken Soup