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This marry me chicken soup makes a hearty, creamy soup out of the well-loved “marry me chicken” dish that tastes so good, it might justify a wedding proposal. Tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes and spinach swim in a rich and creamy tomato broth. You’re going to love this easy dinner!
Love chicken soup? Try creamy chicken and wild rice soup, creamy white chicken lasagna soup, or creamy chicken tortilla soup next!
I’d have to agree that this soup gives me all the heart-eye emojis. What’s not to love about the combo of creamy broth, tangy sun dried tomatoes, tender chicken, and pillowy gnocchi?
Aside from the incredible flavors and texture of this soup, the convenience of it is pretty unbeatable. Just like cowboy soup, it’s all made in one pot, takes less than 30 minutes to make, and is a great freezer meal.
Soup recipes are my favorite in the fall and winter and this one just topped the list (along with ground turkey vegetable soup).
If you love a convenient one-pot gnocchi soups, be sure to try creamy chicken gnocchi soup and creamy sausage gnocchi soup as well.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this Marry Me Chicken Soup. Skip to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Sun-dried tomatoes and oil: Tomatoes and oil.
- Chicken breast: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use chicken thighs.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Unsalted butter: Swap this for vegan butter or olive oil for dairy-free.
- Yellow onion: Yellow onions are best, but white or even shallots will work.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best.
- Tomato paste: Thickens the soup and adds rich tomato flavor and color.
- Parmesan rind: This is optional but adds extra flavor!
- Chicken broth: I like using low-sodium chicken broth. Substitute with chicken stock, bone broth, vegetable broth, or water.
- Gnocchi: Use gluten-free if needed or make homemade cauliflower gnocchi.
- Heavy cream: Swap for coconut cream to keep it dairy-free.
- Parmesan cheese: Substitute with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free version.
- Baby spinach: Measure with your heart!
Serve it with gluten-free cornbread for the perfect at-home comfort meal.
Recipe Variations
- Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast
- Add kale instead of spinach
- Swap the gnocchi for diced potatoes (they will need to cook a little longer than the gnocchi).
- Dairy-free: use coconut cream, vegan butter, and nutritional yeast in place of heavy cream, butter, and parmesan cheese.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Soup
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this marry me chicken soup recipe. Skip to the recipe card for the printable version.
Step 1. Cook the Chicken. Season chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes in sun dried tomato oil, until cooked through.
Step 2. Cook Onion and Tomato Paste. Cook the diced onions in butter then stir in the seasonings and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3. Simmer the Broth. Pour in the chicken broth and add the parmesan rind. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to develop the flavors and reduce slightly.
Step 4. Cook the Gnocchi. Add the gnocchi to the simmering soup and cook for 2-4 minutes. The soup will be pretty thick, but the gnocchi should float to the surface when it’s done.
Step 5. Finish the Soup. Stir in the cream, spinach, and cooked chicken. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach wilts. Add more cream or broth to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and red pepper flakes as needed. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the gnocchi: Gnocchi can become mushy if they are overcooked, so make sure to add them right at the end. You’ll know they’re done when they float to the top of the soup.
- Adjust the thickness of the broth to your liking: If the broth is too thick, you can thin it out by adding a little bit of water or broth. If it’s too thin, you can thicken it up by cooking it down a bit longer or creating a slurry with cornstarch and water and simmering it with the soup to thicken.
- Taste and season as you go. The flavors of the soup change the longer it cooks and reduces. Always taste at the end and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe FAQs
The viral TikTok recipe is made with sundried tomatoes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, chicken breasts, garlic, and herbs.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate: Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature first. Then, transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: To freeze the soup, allow it to cool to room temperature and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave some headspace to allow for expansion as the soup freezes. It freezes well for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator (if frozen) then reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the soup has thickened up too much during storage, add a little bit of water or broth to thin it out.
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Marry Me Chicken Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons oil from sun dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts cubed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (8-ounce) jar sun dried tomatoes drained and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 parmesan rind optional
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 12-16 ounces gnocchi gluten-free if needed
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 5 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil from sun dried tomatoes in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and heated through. Transfer to a bowl or plate.1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 Tablespoons oil from sun dried tomatoes
- Turn the heat down to medium and add butter to melt. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes to soft. Stir in the tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until the tomato paste coats the onions and becomes slightly rich in color.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 small yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 (8-ounce) jar sun dried tomatoes, 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pour in 6 cups of chicken broth and add the parmesan rind. Bring it to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes.6 cups chicken broth, 1 parmesan rind
- Add the gnocchi to the soup and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. The soup will be somewhat thick but the gnocchi should float to the top when it's cooked. Remove the parmesan rind if using (it will be mostly melted).12-16 ounces gnocchi
- Add the cooked chicken back to the soup along with the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and spinach. Cook over medium-low until the spinach wilts and the cheese is melted. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Adjust the consistency with more broth or cream as needed.3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 5 cups baby spinach
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been in a cooking slump lately so when I got the email for the October What We Made Cooking Challenge, I went straight to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. Made it last night for dinner and it was really, really good! The gnocchi were like little pillows in a zesty, slightly creamy broth and I just loved the chewy sun-dried tomatoes!
My only critique is that the recipe didn’t specify whether the sun-dried tomatoes should be drained before adding to the soup so I tried to scoop them out of the jar with as little oil as possible, but it still looked like way too much. I ended up sopping some of the excess with paper towels before adding the broth so I would recommend draining for a few minutes before adding.
I might try it with ground Italian sausage next time so there is some in every bite (like Zuppa Toscano), but I guess that would be Marry Me Sausage soup and just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
#whatwemade
Hey Lisa! Thanks for that feedback! I just updated the recipe to specify that they need to be drained. Since you’re using the entire jar, I just cook some of the chicken in the oil and then dump the jar over and cover most of the opening with the lid to drain the oil out but keep the tomatoes in. Then I dump all the sun dried tomatoes on a cutting board and roughly chop. Hope that helps!
This was a great soup! My family always loves Marry Me Chicken pasta and they were very excited to try it in a soup. They raved about the flavor and told me to keep the recipe to make again.
I made the recipe exactly as indicated. This will become part of our soup rotation this fall and winter for sure.
Love that Julie! Thank you!!