Grilled Chicken Parmesan Soup (Print Version)

Italian-inspired soup with grilled chicken, tomatoes, herbs, and gooey Parmesan. Comforting and satisfying.

# What You'll Need:

→ Soup Base

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 large carrot, diced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
09 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

13 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
16 - 1 cup garlic croutons or toasted bread cubes

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
02 - Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side until fully cooked and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow to rest for 2 minutes, then dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
03 - In large pot, heat splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook stirring frequently until vegetables soften, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, dried basil, and red pepper flakes to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
05 - Stir in grilled chicken pieces. Simmer for additional 5 minutes to meld flavors. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Just before serving, stir in half of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese until completely melted into broth.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with remaining cheeses, fresh basil, and handful of garlic croutons.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The grill marks on the chicken add a depth of flavor that makes this soup feel restaurant-quality without the price tag.
  • It comes together in less than an hour, which means weeknight dinners can actually taste like you spent all day cooking.
  • That moment when the cheese melts into ribbons through the hot broth is pure comfort on a spoon.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time on the chicken, because cutting into it while it's still screaming hot will cause all those flavorful juices to run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in your soup.
  • Shredded cheese melts infinitely better than cubed or sliced cheese, and room temperature cheese melts faster than cold cheese straight from the refrigerator.
03 -
  • Make your own croutons by tossing bread cubes with minced garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasoning, then toasting them in a hot oven until golden, because store-bought can taste stale and cardboard-like by comparison.
  • Keep your broth warm in a separate pot while you're doing everything else, so when you add it to the soup vegetables, you're not shocking the system with cold liquid and slowing down the cooking process.
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