Italian Chicken Soup (Old-Fashioned Family Recipe)

This Italian Chicken Soup is the kind of simple, comforting recipe that has been passed down in my family for generations. Tender chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic simmer in a tomato and chicken broth with Italian seasoning for a cozy soup that is perfect for Sunday dinner, sick days, or making ahead for the week.

You can eat it exactly as it is or spoon it over ditalini or another small pasta. I always cook the pasta separately because it keeps the broth from getting thick and the noodles from turning mushy in leftovers or freezer portions.

Quick Look at This Recipe

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Servings: 8
• Method: Stovetop
• Perfect For: Weekly meal prep, freezer cooking, sick days, and family meals
• Flavor & Texture: Savory tomato broth with tender chicken and soft vegetables

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Italian chicken soup, along with a few notes on what I use and what works best. You’ll find the full ingredient list with exact amounts in the recipe card below.

• Onion, Carrots, Celery, and Garlic. This is the classic vegetable base I grew up with in chicken soup. I like to chop the vegetables on the smaller side so you get a little bit of everything in each spoonful and they soften evenly.
• Italian Seasoning. Italian seasoning gives the broth that familiar savory flavor. A good store-bought blend works perfectly here.
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts. My mom and grandmother always used bone-in chicken breasts with the skin, but I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts now. They are easier to work with and, in my opinion, nothing ruins a good bowl of soup faster than finding a rogue chicken bone
• Chicken Broth or Stock. My mom never added packaged chicken broth. She cooked the chicken right in the soup, and that became the broth. I make it a little differently now and use chicken stock or bone broth because I like the richer flavor it gives the soup. And fun fact..my mom says this way is much more flavorful. Since broth makes up so much of the recipe, use one that you genuinely like. Wegmans Organic is the one I buy most often.
• Tomato Sauce. This is the ingredient that makes this soup different from the chicken soup most people are used to. Tomato sauce gives the broth that rich Italian flavor and color without turning it into tomato soup. I also think the quality matters here. Wegmans Organic, Cento, and Tuttorosso are all brands I like.
• Ditalini or Small Pasta. Pasta is optional, but ditalini is the classic choice in our house. Small shells or orzo also work. I always cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls. This is especially important if you are making the soup ahead or freezing it because pasta sitting in the broth will continue soaking up liquid and can turn soft and mushy.
• Parmesan Cheese. A little freshly grated Parmesan on top is the perfect finishing touch. It adds salty, savory flavor without needing anything complicated.

How to Make Italian Chicken Soup (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are beginning to soften.

Step 2: Add the garlic and seasoning. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another 2–3 minutes, just until everything smells fragrant.

• Step 3: Add the chicken, broth, and tomato sauce. Add the chicken breasts to the pot, then pour in the chicken broth and tomato sauce. Stir everything together.
• Step 4: Simmer until the chicken is cooked. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, and cook for about 10–15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.

• Step 5: Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool for a few minutes. Shred or chop it into bite-size pieces, then return it to the soup.
• Step 6: Finish cooking the vegetables. Continue simmering for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are tender. Taste the broth and season with salt and black pepper as needed.

• Step 7: Serve with pasta if you want it. Cook the pasta separately according to the package directions. Add about 1/4 cup of cooked pasta to each bowl, ladle the soup over it, and finish with Parmesan.

Expert Tips From Making This Italian Chicken Soup for Years

• Keep the pasta separate. This is probably the biggest tip I can give you if you plan to have leftovers or freeze the soup. Once pasta sits in broth, it keeps absorbing liquid. You end up with less broth, thicker soup, and very soft noodles. I cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl right before serving.
• Cut the vegetables smaller if that is how you like your soup. This is partly personal preference, but I prefer smaller pieces of carrot, celery, and onion. They cook evenly and you get chicken, vegetables, and broth together in almost every bite instead of chasing giant pieces around the bowl.
• Use a broth you actually like. Broth is the backbone of this soup, so this is not the place to use one you would not enjoy on its own. Wegmans Organic is my usual choice, and bone broth is another option if you want a richer flavor.
• Do the same with the tomato sauce. There are not a lot of ingredients hiding the flavor here, so a good tomato sauce really does make a difference. Wegmans Organic, Cento, and Tuttorosso are all good options.
• Taste at the end before adding more salt. Broth, tomato sauce, and Parmesan can all add saltiness, so I wait until the soup is finished before deciding whether it needs more.

Variations & Swaps

• Skip the pasta. The soup is still filling and flavorful without it, and I make it this way plenty of times when I want a simpler bowl of soup.
• Use brown rice instead. Add cooked brown rice to each bowl the same way you would pasta. I would still keep it separate for storage so it does not absorb all of the broth.
• Add more vegetables. I usually stick with carrots, celery, and onion because that is how my mom made it, but you can absolutely add more. Leeks, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, kale, and bell peppers can all work. Just think about when they need to go into the pot. Spinach and kale can be stirred in near the end, while broccoli, mushrooms, and other heartier vegetables need more time to cook.
• Add diced tomatoes. If you want more tomato flavor and texture, add diced tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes along with the tomato sauce.
• Add fresh herbs. Thyme, rosemary, or fresh basil are easy additions if you have them.
• Use chicken thighs. Boneless chicken thighs will work, but they have more fat than chicken breasts, so the finished broth may be a little richer or greasier.
• Use bone-in chicken breasts. You absolutely can make this the way my mom and grandmother did and use bone-in chicken breasts. Just be very careful when shredding the chicken and returning it to the pot so you do not leave any small bones behind.
• Make it gluten-free. Use your favorite gluten-free small pasta and make sure the broth you are using is certified gluten-free.