Grilled Chicken Parmesan Soup (Printable)

Hearty Italian soup with grilled chicken, tomatoes, herbs, and gooey Parmesan. Ready in 45 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ For the Soup

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 large carrot, diced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
09 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ For Finishing

13 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
16 - 1 cup garlic croutons or toasted bread cubes

# Directions:

01 - Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
02 - Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Grill for 6-7 minutes per side until fully cooked with internal temperature reaching 165°F. Allow to rest, then dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
03 - In large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
05 - Stir in grilled chicken and simmer for additional 5 minutes to meld flavors. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Just before serving, stir in half of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese until melted.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with remaining cheeses, fresh basil, and garlic croutons.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually pulled it together in under 45 minutes.
  • The grilled chicken gives it restaurant-quality depth that plain boiled chicken could never touch.
  • One bowl feels like a complete meal without needing sides, though a salad won't hurt.
02 -
  • Grilling the chicken separately is non-negotiable if you want that restaurant flavor—boiling it in the broth will give you a different soup entirely, and not in a good way.
  • Don't skip the resting period after grilling; those five minutes let the juices redistribute so your chicken stays tender instead of drying out when you dice it.
03 -
  • If you're short on time, rotisserie chicken works perfectly—shred about a pound and skip the grilling step entirely, though you'll lose that smoky note.
  • A tiny splash of heavy cream stirred in right before serving transforms it from comfort food into luxury comfort food, something I discovered by accident when I grabbed the wrong carton from the fridge.
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