Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: foxeslovelemons

February6,2014

3.6

60 Ratings

  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 4 hours
  • Makes 6 cups

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This soup has all of the flavors of decadent Chicken Parmesan, but in a more waist-friendly vehicle. Chicken broth and crushed tomatoes are simmered with garlic, onion, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes for an aromatic base. Shredded lean chicken breast, green bell pepper, and gemelli pasta fill you up. And everything is topped with a little cheese, of course. —foxeslovelemons

Test Kitchen Notes

I'd say a good chicken Parmesan sandwich is one of life's greatest pleasures. What's not to like about chicken that's breaded and cheesed within an inch of its life and then tucked into a crusty loaf of Italian bread? A sandwich like that should be reserved for special occasions–for the mornings when getting out of bed requires the incentive of an overindulgent, borderline irresponsible lunch; or perhaps for after you've run a marathon, given birth, or engaged in some other feat of extraordinary strength and endurance.

Like my beloved sandwich, this soup finds its origins in the Italian-American classic, chicken Parmesan. Unlike the sandwich, the more refined soup easily translates into a wholesome weeknight meal. In some ways it even ups the ante–after all, it's made in a slow cooker, can be eaten with a spoon, and won't leave you with a lump in your stomach the way its other forms might. This is the chicken Parmesan that will love you back. —Julie Myers

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 14 1/2 ouncescrushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 poundraw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 cupschicken broth
  • 1/2 cupchopped white onion
  • 1/3 cupshredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoonchopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoonschopped fresh oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoonred pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
  • 4 ouncesuncooked dry gemelli or penne pasta
  • Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Directions
  1. In the slow cooker, stir together the garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, the cheese, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours, or on low for 7 hours.
  2. Transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board and coarsely shred them; return them to the slow cooker; stir in the pasta. Cook on high for 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente.
  3. Serve garnished with more Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

Tags:

  • Soup
  • Italian
  • American
  • Oregano
  • Parmesan
  • Parsley
  • Chicken
  • Chicken Breast
  • Bell Pepper
  • Make Ahead
  • Slow Cooker
  • One-Pot Wonders
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Chicken
  • Your Best Recipe with Noodles

Popular on Food52

76 Reviews

kjacc January 23, 2023

I have a question...the recipe calls for 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes. I have found it only comes in 28 oz cans! Can you use the full can? or will that ruin the consistancy?

GreenGoddess January 25, 2023

I think I made it with 28 ounce last time, it basically just gave me more soup, I would add more parmesan, also I added more vegetables to it and added cooked pasta at the end.

ProfessorElle April 29, 2022

I created an account so that I could review this recipe! I’ve been making it for several years and it is now part of the regular rotation at our house. It’s quick and easy to make, with ingredients I usually have on hand. I do substitute dry herbs at about 1/3 the quantity, and I’ve made it with fresh or frozen chicken and vegetables. It comes out great every time.

Leila December 21, 2021

I made this base level and it was great for something that needed to be quickly thrown together. We ate it all + more, but I was thinking a scoop of ricotta would have been great / thyme. Yum AF

JESSICA September 21, 2021

Original recipe was a base, but not especially to my liking as is. Amendments to original: sautéed onion first, substituted fennel for green pepper, added red wine and tomato paste, at end of cooking added cannellini beans (no pasta)/cheese/ chopped kale.

pattyposy February 21, 2021

I added a parmesan rind (at the end of cook time) tomato paste, onion powder, fennel seed, basil, oregano and wine. I sauteed the veggies first

GreenGoddess January 18, 2021

For me this soup needs more added to it. I added carrots, celery, thyme, and a very small piece of rosemary. At the end I also added kale and green beans. Also I cooked the pasta separately and added it at the end. Wish I would have listened to the other reviewers and sauteed the onions before turning on the slow cook option. I will make this again, me and family like it.

Deborah October 13, 2020

Soup was tasty, but I absolutely second others’ recommendations to sauté the onions first and add a can of tomato paste. The crunchy onions really detract from the flavor, and without the paste the soup is really quite thin. I will make it again with these changes, though.

pattyposy September 17, 2020

I want to incorporate some suggested changes into the body of this recipe for future reference. How can I do this or can I?

Barbara A. March 31, 2020

This sounded like a great idea. It turned out to be blah. Somethings wrong. It turned out to be chicken stew and not much else. No sir, don’t like it!

Elizabeth D. October 26, 2019

I signed up for your website in order to print the slow cooker chicken parm recipe and hit print (5 times) only to discover that it will not permit me to print. Why?

Barbara A. September 19, 2020

Don’t bother. Find a recipe elsewhere. This sounds magnifique but it’s blah, blah, blah.

Marcelline Y. October 16, 2019

I added tomato paste to give it a more Italian taste. I liked it but my husband said it needed more flavor. It will be his lunch so hopefully sitting overnight will increase the flavor.

OnionRoom December 18, 2018

Good, easy, and not too expensive. Pros, very easy prep, steaming hot, and tasty. Stretches two chicken breasts to feed 6. Agree with the member who said there is a slow cooker taste to this soup. Made the recipe tonight and made some quick adjustments to avoid the default slow cooker taste. I used whole wheat pasta which I watched like a hawk as I don't like soggy pasta and this may have helped avoid the gumminess that other members mentioned with the pasta. I added a quarter cup of white wine as the recipe as is looked a little bland. I used two tablespoons of granulated onion powder instead of garlic. I increased the dry pasta to 2 cups. I increased the chicken stock to about 4 cups instead of 3 to use the entire 1- quart tetra pack. I doubled the number of fresh herbs. I will definitely make it again and next time saute the vegetables first and maybe add a squirt of condensed tomato paste to give it some more depth. Good comments about using a parm rind which I don't have and also adding cooked al dente pasta at the end especially if it is white flour pasta. I could see myself adding cooked baby potatoes to this instead of pasta in the future.

Susan December 16, 2018

I don’t know what to make of this. This recipe shows as first of best for slow cooking. Reviewers think chicken over cooked in a couple hours, veggies need separate treatment, cheese and pasta added later or cooked on side. I have been reading recipes long enough to expect a baseline and I’m not sure half these reviewers even considered it a crock pot soup. Ingredients could be tasty but sound directions on this lacking.

Russ December 16, 2018

Doubled recipe. Had to add cup extra chicken broth at end because noodles just about soaked up all the original broth. My kids actually liked it more like stew than soup. Served with garlic bread to soak up liquid at bottom of bowls. Liked it!

Faith R. December 13, 2018

This was awful. Don't waste your ingedients or day on this thing I just throw it all away. I'm actually shamed I put this on the table. If you like bad, this is for you!!!

Linda D. December 9, 2018

Thank you for a wonderful crock pot soup! I read all of the comments and sauteed the onion first, I used a whole onion, then added the pepper and crushed garlic. I used a whole, bone in chicken breast, that's what I had in my freezer, and boiled the pasta on the side. Delicious! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!

Rachel A. August 27, 2018

This was pretty good! Cooked the pasta separately. Added a bit of fennel seed and a splash of white wine to the slow cooker. And it was a super easy dinner that even my kids enjoyed.

ECMotherwell April 16, 2018

This was lovely! I reduced the sauce at the end, in order for it to be more of a pasta than a soup (just my family's preference). Was a big, big hit -- everyone enjoyed it. Also, it was a whiz to throw together, definitely going into my weeknight routine!

christinalm March 19, 2018

This was a great recipe. I followed advice of other comments and par cooked the veggies, added the cheese at the end, and cooked the pasta separately. I also used my hand blender when I took the chicken out to insure my minis did not notice the veggies.

Kaela B. February 5, 2018

Throw a parmesan rind in there and avoid the cheese problem.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Can I cook soup in slow cooker overnight? ›

Today's programmable slow cookers often come with the ability to cook food for up to 24 hours, as well as automatic warming settings that can stay on for just as long. But when it comes to slow cooking the day away, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Can you leave broth in slow cooker overnight? ›

There are a few tricks to delicious tasting bone broth:

Enjoy all the meat and skin for dinner, then put the remaining skeleton into the crockpot & simmer overnight. You'll wake up the next day with some delicious nourishing broth to sip on.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

How long can you leave soup in crockpot on low? ›

That varies by what's inside the slow cooker and also by the appliance's setting and model, the experts say. Most recipes for all-day cooking call for 6 to 8 hours on low. Quality- (and safety-) wise, another 1 to 2 hours in 'keep warm' mode won't mess things up.

Can you overcook soup in a slow cooker? ›

"When a slow cooker is too full, it may not heat the food evenly," explains Leal. As a result, some parts of the dish may overcook, while others remain undercooked. "This can also increase the risk of foodborne illness, because the food might not reach a safe temperature throughout," she says.

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on low overnight? ›

Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

Is it safe to leave slow cooker on at night? ›

Leaving a slow cooker on overnight is generally considered safe as long as it is used properly and in good working condition. Slow cookers are designed to cook food at a low temperature for an extended period of time, and they are built with safety features such as temperature controls and automatic shut-off functions.

Can you slow cook soup for 12 hours? ›

Cook on low heat for about 12 hours. Depending on who will be eating the soup, at this point you may want to remove the chicken and pick out the meat. Since I have little kids, this is what I did. (I had so much meat, I decided to save half for another batch of soup.)

Can you cook soup too long in slow cooker? ›

Can you overcook something in a slow cooker? Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

How long is too long for slow cooker soup? ›

Recipes with meat like chili and pork shoulder are best when cooked for six hours minimum or up to ten hours. Vegetarian recipes are best cooked for around four hours, but can do a minimum of two hours or maximum of six hours (after which the vegetables start to get unpleasantly mushy).

Can you leave soup in a crockpot on warm overnight? ›

While it's perfectly ok to use your crock pot in this way, try to avoid leaving food on the warming setting for more than four hours. According to the USDA, food kept at between 40 and 140 degrees is more at risk of forming bacteria.

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