Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Shell Pasta Soup
A rich, one-pot creamy tomato soup loaded with shredded chicken, pasta shells, sun-dried tomatoes, and two kinds of cheese — comfort food that tastes like it took all day.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
- ½ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes, packed in herb oil, drained
- 1 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomato jar
- 1½ cups yellow onion, chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 (32-oz) cartons chicken broth (64 oz total)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tsp fresh basil, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (plus more for garnish)
- 8 oz uncooked medium shell pasta
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed, room temperature
- 1½ oz Parmesan, finely shredded (plus more for garnish)
- Optional: Small pinch of smoked paprika added with the Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes until the paste deepens in color and begins to stick slightly to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the chicken broth and cream. Add the basil, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium heat, about 12 minutes.
- Add the pasta shells and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 12 minutes until the pasta is just al dente.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the spinach, shredded chicken, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the cheeses melt completely and the chicken is heated through.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan, fresh basil, and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Notes
- Room-temperature cream cheese: Cold cream cheese will clump. Pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start cooking.
- Make it 2 days ahead: Prepare the soup base through Step 3, refrigerate, then finish with pasta and dairy when ready to serve.
- Pasta tip: Cooking pasta directly in the soup means leftovers will thicken overnight. For meal-prep purposes, cook pasta separately and combine per serving.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat with a splash of chicken broth. Not recommended for freezing.