Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 1 cup uncooked short pasta (penne, rotini, or shells)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (for topping)
- Garlic croutons (for serving)
- Fresh chopped basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, dried basil, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir gently to combine the ingredients around the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooks through completely.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the uncooked pasta. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender (al dente). Alternatively, you can boil the pasta separately on the stove and stir it in at the end to prevent it from absorbing too much broth.
- Once the pasta is cooked, reduce the heat to warm (or low). Stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese until the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Season with salt and pepper to your preference.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top generously with shredded mozzarella cheese, garlic croutons, and fresh chopped basil to mimic the breaded texture of traditional Chicken Parmesan.
Notes
If you plan to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls. Pasta left in the soup overnight will absorb the liquid and become mushy. For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 95mg