Ingredients
Other than olive oil, salt, and pepper, everything you need is pictured here:
All these specific ingredients are available at Whole Foods, but you should be able to find alternatives at any grocery store.
Note, if you use Brami protein pasta like I did, you’ll only need 8 oz from the box. Pick up a second box and make my chicken minestrone next.
If you’re concerned about Calabrian peppers being a one-and-done ingredient, don’t be. It’s a pantry staple around here, and I use it in everything from marry me white bean soup and broccolini chicken pasta to crispy chicken flatbreads. Double concentrated tomato paste is a fine substitute, however.
Serving Tips and Ideas
It’s always tough deciding serving sizes, balancing the right amount of calories and protein with the quantity and volume of a meal.
I settled on six servings that are about 12 oz each. That’s slightly smaller than my typical 2-cup serving for soups, but this soup is quite rich with over a pound of cheese in it.
And I even recommend grating extra parmesan on top.
You’re always welcome to make your own adjustments to serving sizes and eat as much as your calorie budget and appetite can afford. I think the 445 calories in my recommended serving size leaves some room for grilled sourdough or some type of crusty bread (I went with TJ’s French onion focaccia) or crackers.
This soup already falls into the meals with 40g of protein (under 500 calories) category and only has 32g of carbs per serving. So carb it up.
And that’s all I have for you. Don’t forget to leave a recipe review if you make this soup and love it. Or give me your feedback if you think it could be improved in some way!
Cheesy Italian Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 16 oz Ground Chicken
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Calabrian Chili Peppers, or tomato paste
- 3 Frozen Crushed Garlic Cubes, or 3 cloves fresh
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (no salt added)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 cups Chicken Bone Broth
- 8 oz Protein Pasta, I used Brami cubetti*
- 1 cup (135g) Frozen Peas
- 1 ¾ cups (15 oz) Whole Milk Ricotta
- ½ cup (60g) Grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup Water
- Lemons, Parmesan, and Fresh Basil, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat before adding the ground chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side until golden before breaking apart and fully cooking.
- Stir in the chili peppers, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the pot and cook until fragrant, another minute or so.
- Add a few tablespoons of the broth to deglaze the pot and release any crispy bits on the bottom. Add the remaining broth and the pasta. Stir together, cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- While the pasta cooks, blend the ricotta, parmesan, and water together until completely smooth. Set aside.
- After the pasta has cooked for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low and remove the lid. Stir in the peas and cook for 2-3 minutes until the peas are heated through.
- Add the blended ricotta to the soup and stir together. Cook for another minute or two until the cheese is evenly incorporated and up to temperature before turning off the heat.
- Salt and pepper to taste before serving. Garnish with a big squeeze of lemon juice, more grated parmesan, and freshly chopped basil, if desired.
