Soup is one of my favorite meals to make, and this is a one-bowl wonder thanks to the slow cooker! All you need is a few pantry staples and that pound of chicken from the freezer, and you’ll have a delicious meal waiting for you to get home.
Is Chicken Parmesan Soup Healthy?
It’s real food made at home and yes, a much more wholesome choice than takeout or the drive-thru.
This soup is an incredible comfort food dinner you can make in the slow cooker with pasta, canned diced tomatoes, chicken broth, chicken breasts, and cheese. While it’s not low-carb, paleo, keto (and it doesn’t have to be any of those to be healthy), it’s home-cooked with real, fresh ingredients, and to me, that’s what counts.
Ingredients
Grab your slow cooker, and let’s get to the recipe! With simple and flavorful ingredients, you can enjoy an epic chicken Parmesan soup.
So first, you’ll want to check the fridge and pantry for:
- Aromatics: onion and garlic are always a winning duet!
- Tomato paste: a strong flavor that makes this soup taste amazing.
- Tomatoes: your favorite canned diced tomatoes.
- Chicken broth: use store-bought or try this amazing homemade broth recipe.
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs.
- Italian seasoning: adds tons of flavors.
- Red pepper flakes: to add a little heat to the party.
- Penne pasta: or any shelled pasta you have on hand.
- Shredded cheese: Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese adds flavor while thickening the soup.
You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
How To Make Crockpot Parmesan Chicken Soup
Now that you have your ingredients, you’re just four simple steps away from this epic meal.
Here’s how I prepare this soup:
- Combine
Combine onion, garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker. - Cook
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook the soup on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. - Add the pasta and cheese
In the last 30 minutes, add the pasta, 1 ¼ cups Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup Mozzarella cheese to the slow cooker. Stir to combine ingredients, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until pasta is ready. - Soups on!
To serve, fill bowls and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Grab a spoon and enjoy!
In this quick video, I show you how to make this delicious Chicken Parmesan Soup in the slow cooker:
Related: More Soup Dinner Ideas
Frozen Chicken or Pre-cooked?
I love this question because you can use both!! If you’re short on time, a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover chopped grilled chicken can cut this recipe into a 30-minute stove-top meal.
If you plan to use frozen chicken, make sure to defrost it before adding to the slow cooker. In case you are reading this, 3 hours before dinner, here are three easy methods to defrost chicken safely, *hint- the 2nd and 3rd option are your best choice.
Best Herbs and Spices
This Chicken Parmesan Soup is an Italian inspired recipe, so stick with your favorite Italian seasoning blend with basil, thyme, and oregano. Also, fresh chopped basil for topping would be divine!
Slow Cooker Soup Tips
We have a lot of slow cooker soups around here so I’d like to go ahead and share the best tips for making perfect soup in the slow cooker, every time:
Make sure you start right
Some ingredients hold up better during long periods of cooking without getting soggy. Here’s a general list of items you can add at the beginning of the recipe:
- Vegetables – Onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, and tomatoes- both fresh and canned
- Pantry – broth, spices, seasonings
- Meat – chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, pork, beef, and turkey
Finish it off
30 minutes before serving, and THEN you can toss in these items:
- Vegetables – peas, corn, canned beans, zucchini, and spinach
- Pantry – pasta, rice, and quinoa
- Dairy – cheese, milk, cream, half & half, and coconut milk
- Protein – seafood such as shrimp or fish
If you love this soup recipe, then you’re sure to love the slow cooker version of Chicken Parmesan. It’s chicken cutlets slow-cooked with cheese, tomato sauce, and breadcrumbs without all the breading and frying.
Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- To a slow cooker, add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes — cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- In the last 30 minutes, add the pasta, 1 ¼ cups Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup Mozzarella cheese to the slow cooker. Stir to combine ingredients, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until pasta is ready.
- To serve, fill bowls and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.
Karissa Gleason
Hi Laura. I’m thinking of making this in the electric pressure cooker. Have you tried that yet? I think sauté the onions and chicken pieces first, adding in the remaining spices and seasonings with tomato paste for a quick stir. Then deglaze the pot with the broth and add the pasta on top making sure each noodle is in liquid and then pressure cooking for 10 minutes and add cheese after cooking is done. Feedback?
Laura Fuentes
Hi Karissa, I haven’t done this recipe in the pressure cooker but if I did, that’s about what I would do too. I’m not sure about the cooking time of pasta, since I’ve never (gasp!) made pasta in the pressure cooker. But alas, everything else should be good!