Comforting Chicken Parm Soup Recipe

Chicken Parmesan is one of my all-time favorite meals, rivaled only by my love for a warm, comforting bowl of soup. Combining the two seemed like a perfect way to enjoy the best of both worlds, transforming a classic Italian-American dinner into a cozy, spoonable meal. While there are plenty of ways to turn chicken Parmesan into soup, I wanted to emphasize the elements that make the original dish so good: crispy, golden-brown chicken, rich tomato sauce, and plenty of Parmesan cheese. Inspired by my recipe for chicken katsu coconut ramen, which similarly pairs crispy fried chicken with a savory broth, this soup brings together contrasting textures for a meal that's every bit as satisfyingly delicious as its inspiration.

The secret to this chicken Parmesan soup is to prepare the chicken separately, breading and frying it until golden before serving it over a warm, tomato-based broth filled with tender pasta shells and fresh basil. Breading and frying chicken admittedly takes a little extra time, but it's well worth the effort, especially as the breading begins to soak up the flavorful broth. Simmering chicken until tender in a traditional soup takes time, too, so the extra steps are an even trade for a dish that truly embodies the crunch of crispy chicken Parmesan. Finished with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan, this soup is hearty, comforting, and everything I love about chicken Parmesan in one delicious bowl.

The recipe starts with a tomato soup base, which requires olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, a Parmesan rind, salt, pepper, basil, and pasta shells. The pasta can technically be any shape — I just love the way shells scoop up the silky broth and fill each bite with bursts of tomato flavor. For the chicken, you'll need canola (or vegetable) oil for frying, as well as flour, egg, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and chicken cutlets. If your store doesn't sell chicken already sliced into cutlets, you can also use your knife skills to butterfly chicken into thin cutlets at home.

Heat the olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and Parmesan rind, stirring to combine. Season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta, stir, and cook until shells are al dente, about 10 minutes.

Once the pasta is tender, remove the soup from the heat and remove the Parmesan rind from the soup. Stir in the chopped basil.

In the meantime, make the chicken. Heat the canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Prepare three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with breadcrumbs mixed with ¼ cup Parmesan and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

Season the chicken with the remaining salt and pepper.

Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip it into the egg, and coat it with the breadcrumb mixture.

Add the chicken cutlets in batches and fry for about 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Transfer to a wire rack to drain the oil. Let rest, then slice it into strips.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, then top with sliced chicken cutlet, basil, and grated Parmesan.

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While frying the chicken creates the crispy, golden-brown coating that makes this soup reminiscent of classic chicken Parmesan, you can get a similar result by baking or air frying the breaded chicken instead. To bake the breaded chicken, arrange it on a lightly greased baking sheet, spray or drizzle it with oil, and bake at 425 F until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on its thickness. Alternatively, air fry at 375 F for about 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. In either case, the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 F before you serve it.

For an even easier version, you can skip the breading completely and simmer diced or shredded cooked chicken directly in the soup. This eliminates the extra preparation and cleanup, though you'll lose the crunch that makes this recipe unique. Rotisserie chicken is another convenient shortcut that can be stirred into the broth just before serving.

To keep the chicken as crispy as possible, store it separately from the soup broth. This means that when you first serve the soup, if you plan on having leftovers, it's best to assemble each bowl separately, adding the pasta, then broth, then chicken to each one. Allow the soup to cool slightly before transferring it to an airtight container and refrigerating it for up to 3 to 4 days. Store the cooked chicken in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator for the same amount of time. If possible, keep the pasta separate from the broth, as it will continue absorbing liquid and begin to break down as it sits. Add the reserved pasta shells once you're ready to reheat.

To reheat the soup, warm it in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming hot, adding a splash of chicken broth if it has thickened. Meanwhile, reheat the breaded chicken in a 375 F oven or air fryer until it's heated through and crispy again, reaching an internal temperature of 165 F. Add the chicken to individual bowls just before serving to keep its breading crunchy, then finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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