Carrabba’s Spicy Chicken Soup Recipe: A Quick and Hearty Meal

---

Carrabba’s spicy chicken soup recipe is hands down one of the most comforting and flavorful soups I have ever tried. I have tried many chicken soup recipes worldwide, but this one simply made me speechless. Packed with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and just the right amount of spice, it’s the kind of dish that warms you up from the inside out.

You might be thinking that it would take so much time, right? It does, but guess what? I used rotisserie chicken to cut the cook time by more than half, making it an easy-to-make and quick recipe. So no tension about the time.

With every spoonful of this recipe, you get a perfect balance of veggies and chicken, with a touch of heat to keep things interesting. You’ll love how easy it is to make, and the best part is you can adjust the spice to suit your taste. So, if you are ready now, let’s dive into the recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Those who have tasted this Carrabba’s spicy chicken soup recipe can’t forget it. And they don’t have to be reasoned for loving it. But still, here are some reasons why my viewers and I all love it from our hearts:

1. Comforting and hearty: It’s the kind of soup that fills you up, warms you from the inside out, and feels like a big hug in a bowl. The combination of chicken, vegetables, and pasta makes it a perfectly balanced, satisfying meal.
2. Tender chicken: The chicken is incredibly tender, falling off the bone and shredded into bite-sized pieces. The meat absorbs all the wonderful flavors in the soup, adding a rich, satisfying, protein-packed bite.
3. Easy to make: It might seem that the time it takes is too much, but you don’t have to babysit the recipe during the whole time. All you need to do is just do some work at first, chill for 2 hours in between, and then do some work again, finish the recipe, serve it, and enjoy! That’s all it takes to make it.
4. Simple ingredients, big flavor: Though this recipe uses simple ingredients, the combination of flavors, especially from the slow-cooked chicken, creates a complex and satisfying dish that feels like it took hours to prepare. Moreover, it’s the copycat version of the Carabba’s spicy Sicilian chicken soup, so it has the same flavor, taste, and ingredients as the original soup recipe, and this is what makes it so special.

So, if you are convinced, then let’s start the recipe with the list of ingredients you will need.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients that you will need to make this amazing Carabba’s soup recipe, spicy chicken:

1. Whole Chicken: This is the main ingredient of the soup, as the name itself is “Carabba’s soup recipe spicy chicken”. This ingredient infuses the soup with rich, savory flavor and provides tender meat that is shredded and added for protein.
2. Large yellow onion: This ingredient adds a savory base flavor and natural sweetness to the soup that we all love, and enhances the overall depth.
3. Carrots: They also bring natural sweetness and vibrant color, balancing the savory flavors of the soup.
4. Red bell peppers: Red bell peppers add a mild, sweet pepper flavor and a pop of color, contributing to the soup’s freshness.
5. Can of diced tomatoes in juice: The diced tomatoes provide acidity and richness to the soup while giving it a tangy base that complements the other flavors too well.
6. Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley: Parsleys offer a fresh, herbal flavor that brightens the soup and adds a hint of earthiness. But don’t use canned ones, use fresh ones.
7. Garlic cloves: Garlic imparts a strong, aromatic flavor that deepens the soup’s taste and adds complexity.
8. Kosher salt: As you know, kosher salt, not only in this recipe but also in all recipes, enhances all the flavors and upgrades the overall taste.
9. Black pepper: This ingredient adds a mild spicy kick, bringing warmth and depth to the soup without overpowering it.
10. Ditalini pasta: This just makes the soup more filling, soaking up the flavors of the broth.
11. Chicken Broth: Chicken broth creates a flavorful liquid base, adding richness and helping blend the ingredients. But in this recipe, we don’t specifically need chicken broth. We only need it if our soup is too thickened or we just want to make it more liquid.
12. Celery ribs: These add a crisp, refreshing flavor, balancing the richness of the soup and adding texture.
13. Medium baking potatoes: In this recipe, we have mashed these potatoes and added them to the broth. The mashed potatoes add a creamy texture to the soup, giving it a hearty feel.

So that’s the long list of ingredients for this recipe. Once you’ve got all of them, let’s head over to the next part about how you can cook this delicious soup.

How To Cook Carrabba’s Spicy Chicken Soup Recipe

Here’s how you can make this amazing Carrabba’s spicy chicken soup recipe:

Step 1: Prepare the Raw Ingredients

Start by preparing your ingredients to cook alike. First, peel and finely chop the onion, then rinse and cut the celery into 1/4 inch dice. Similarly, peel and dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces. Wash, deseed, and chop the red bell pepper, and peel and dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Lastly, chop the garlic cloves and the flat-leaf parsley, making sure to peel the garlic before chopping. Don’t forget to wash the whole chicken properly inside and outside, and make sure you clean your hands after that too.

Step 2: Combine Ingredients in the Pot

Once everything is prepped, place the whole chicken in a large soup pot. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers, diced potatoes, and canned tomatoes with juice to the pot. Then, pour in cold water until the ingredients are covered by at least 1 or 1 1/2 inches of water. Don’t put less water than a depth of 1 inch.

Step 3: Boil and skim

Now, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. As the soup comes to a boil, skim off the foam from the top as needed. This will help keep the broth clear and clean.

Step 4: Season and simmer

Now, when the mixture is boiling, add the chopped parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. These seasonings will blend in as the soup simmers. You can adjust the amounts of these seasonings based on your taste preferences. After seasoning, reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Now, let the soup simmer for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender and falls off the bone. This process should not be completed before 2 hours, so as promised, you can now chill for 2 hours.

Step 5: Shred The Chicken

After 2 hours, once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and transfer it to a bowl. Now, let the chicken cool for about 20 minutes while keeping the soup simmering. Once the chicken is cold, start by removing the skin and the bones from he chicken and shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Step 6: Cook the Pasta

While the chicken cools, cook the ditalini pasta according to the package instructions. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the excess water and set the pasta aside.

Step 7: Thicken the Broth (If needed) and Add the Chicken

If you see that the soup is too liquid, you can thicken it by mashing a few pieces of potato directly in the soup pot. Moreover, at last, stir everything together, ensuring the chicken and pasta are evenly distributed.

Step 8: Final Adjustments and Serve

At last, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as necessary. If you’d prefer a more brothy soup, feel free to add some extra chicken broth. Once you’re satisfied with the flavor and texture, serve the soup hot and enjoy!

PRO TIP: Short on Time?

If you are short on time, spending 2 hours just for boiling is frustrating. In that case, you can use rotisserie chicken to cut the time. In that case, instead of boiling a whole chicken for 2 hours, simply shred the rotisserie chicken and add it to the soup at the end. Since the chicken is already cooked, you only need to warm it through the broth while simmering. You would only need about 3 to 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to compensate for the whole chicken in the original recipe.

Now, most probably, you are running out of serving suggestions. First off, it’s itself a whole meal, so you can consume it without any side dish. But you can also have some filling side dishes that will enhance the experience even more. Check this section below to know what to serve with this Carrabba’s spicy chicken soup recipe.

What To Serve With This Soup?

As I said that this soup is itself a whole meal, and you can easily consume it wholly without any side dishes at all. But if you are still looking to have some filling side dishes then look no further:

1. Serve with Crusty Bread: Not only I, but also my kids like to have some crusty loaf of bread like a baguette, sourdough, or focaccia. The bread is perfect for soaking up the flavorful broth, adding a delightful texture to each bite.
2. A Green Side Salad: A light, crisp side salad with a lemon vinaigrette will pair wonderfully with the rich flavors of the soup. The acidity from the dressing will complement the soup’s savory profile, making the meal feel more refreshing.
3. Italian-style roasted veggies: You can also have some extra veggies with the meal by adding some grilled vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers on the side. They’ll ultimately complement the flavors of the soup while adding a smoky, charred element.
4. Top with Shredded Parmesan or Tortilla Chips: For a rich and creamy finish, sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top of the soup. It’ll melt right into the hot broth, adding a savory, salty, Italian kick that complements the chicken and the vegetables. Also, don’t forget to add some spicy tortilla chips on the side for a bit of crunch.

Other Chicken Soup Recipes To Try

If you have liked this recipe, then you will have to like these ones below:

1. On The Border Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
2. Cafe Rio Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
3. Chicken Corn Soup Recipe
4. Butter Chicken Soup Recipe

Also, don’t forget to check out my chicken noodle soup in a jar recipe. All of these recipes are extremely delicious and flavorful, and super time-saving as well. So, don’t miss them.

Storage And Reheating

I have this section in almost all of my chicken soup recipes, as freezing or storing any other type of food isn’t that hard or tricky, but storing soups can be a little tricky. Because if you make any mistake while storing it, you will end up seeing crystals inside the soup, and that means that you have ruined the soup. Don’t stress! To avoid that, check below:

Storage

Storing your chicken soup is super easy. First of all, before storing your soup, allow it to cool to room temperature. This helps prevent condensation inside the container, which could make the soup watery. Once cooled, transfer the soup into an airtight container.

Make sure the container is large enough to hold the soup, along with a little space at the top for expansion. This becomes especially important when you are not just storing it for a few days, but you are freezing it for about 3 to 4 months.

Once you’ve poured all the soup, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 to 4 days. And for freezing, put the container (make sure it is freezer-safe) in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you’re freezing the pasta as well, then you might want to store it separately to prevent it from becoming too soft when reheated. Also, remove any kind of vegetables or things like that from the soup, and freeze them separately, or otherwise, they can ruin the whole preparation. I am telling you this because I have experienced this in the past.

Reheating

For reheating the soup stovetop is the best method. To do this:

1. Pour the leftover soup into a pot on the stovetop. Make sure that if the soup was frozen, you thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, and if it was refrigerated, then you can straight reheat it.
2. Once you pour the soup into the pot, heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure every heats evenly. If the soup is too thick after storing, add a splash of chicken broth or water to thin it out as you heat it.
3. Once the soup is heated through, let it simmer for a few minutes to ensure everything is warmed properly. Now, you can taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.

The stovetop method is a bit lengthy process. If you are short on time, you can use the microwave. Nothing to do extra, just place the soup in a microwave-safe bowl, and leave the lid slightly open to allow steam to escape. Now, heat the soup on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes at a time, stirring in between, until it’s thoroughly heated. If it’s too thick, add some water or broth and stir well.

Once hot, stir well to make sure the soup is evenly heated before serving.

FAQs

Below are some FAQs regarding this recipe:

Can I use boneless chicken instead of a whole chicken?

Yes, you can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs instead of a whole chicken. However, using bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the broth, so you might want to consider using bone-in pieces for a richer and flavorful taste. If you use boneless, you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Can I make this soup vegetarian?

Yep! To make this soup vegetarian, all you need to do is skip the chicken and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth. To compensate for the chicken loss, you can add more vegetables like zucchini, spinach, or beans to enhance the flavor and make it more filling.

Can I prepare the soup in advance?

Yes, you can. You can make most of the soup recipes in advance and store them for later. So, this Carrabba’s spicy chicken soup recipe is also not an exception to that. You can make it in advance as well and store it for later. Make sure you follow the above guidelines for storage and reheating to do it safely.

Even after following the recipe, my soup tastes bland. What should I do?

See, if your soup tastes bland, it could be because of the seasoning. Taste the broth as it simmers and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. You may also want to add a little more garlic, parsley, or a splash of lemon juice for extra brightness.

Why Is Chicken Soup Good For Colds?

Chicken soup is quite good for colds for a number of reasons. First off, chicken soup helps keep you hydrated, which is crucial when you’re sick. Staying hydrated helps thin mucus, which can ease congestion. The warm broth provides soothing relief for a sore throat and helps alleviate congestion.

Moreover, this chicken soup is rich in proteins and vitamins, like B6, which can influence your immune system and help you recover quickly. You can check this article from BBC GOOD FOOD about this topic to know more.

Final Words

Finally, now you know how to make these amazingly delicious Carrabba’s spicy chicken soup recipe. If you have tried it at home, please comment below on how it was. Also, if you had tried something different from the original version or want to suggest something, don’t hesitate, just comment below. Moreover, if you have liked this recipe, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family.

For today, Thanks for reading and Happy cooking. You can check the printable version below.

Recipe Card