Italian Chicken Soup with Escarole and Pasta
- Servings: 6
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Effort Level: Very Easy
Italian chicken soup is a quintessential example of Italian-American comfort food – familiar, nourishing, and made with simple ingredients. This version relies on bone-in chicken thighs to create a rich, savory broth that’s brightened by diced tomatoes and hearty escarole. With the addition of ditalini pasta, it becomes a complete one-bowl meal.
We originally developed this recipe for the Instant Pot alone, and it gained a lot of fans, but over time we found ourselves making it just as often on the stovetop. Both methods are fully tested and included here, each with careful attention to timing. The result is a reliable, flavor-forward Italian chicken soup that’s easy to make no matter which cooking method you choose.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
We believe that great flavor starts with quality ingredients. Here are the small details that make these choices work. For a full list and measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Aromatic vegetables – A classic base of onion, carrots, celery, and garlic sautéed in olive oil builds the flavor foundation for this soup.
- Chicken thighs – Skinless, bone-in chicken thighs are our first choice. The bones add richness to the broth, while removing the skin keeps the soup from becoming overly fatty (especially important when using the Instant Pot). Boneless thighs work too, but the finished soup will be slightly less full-bodied.
- Diced tomatoes – A modest quantity of canned, diced tomatoes adds body and subtle acidity to the broth without turning the soup into a tomato-forward dish.
- Fresh greens – Escarole is our preferred green because it softens quickly and holds its texture in the broth. Kale (tough stems removed) can work, but it takes a little longer to cook. Spinach is another option, but being delicate, it loses texture in the hot broth.
- Pasta – Ditalini is ideal for Italian chicken soup, both for its small size and the fact that it doesn’t release a lot of excess starch. Elbow macaroni or mini shells are good alternatives. Very small pastas like orzo or pastina do release starch and tend to thicken the soup. If using them, cook separately and add to individual servings.
- Grated Parmesan – Freshly grated Parmesan adds richness and rounds out the all the flavors. Serving it at the table lets everyone season their bowl to taste.
Prep Overview
How To Make Italian Chicken Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
Here’s a quick overview of the process, with the key techniques that make it work. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Begin by sautéing a traditional mix of onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil, allowing them to soften until aromatic. Next, nestle the chicken thighs directly on top so they cook gently in the seasoned broth and infuse it with rich chicken flavor. This works whether you’re using the stovetop or the Instant Pot.
Once the chicken is tender, it’s removed and shredded while the broth is finished. Pasta is added to simmering broth, followed shortly by the escarole and tomatoes. This timing keeps the pasta from overcooking and prevents the greens from turning dull or limp. The shredded chicken is stirred back in at the end, just long enough to heat through. Serve topped with grated Parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley.
Make-Ahead Notes
This Italian chicken soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for longer storage. Keep in mind that pasta continues to absorb broth as the soup sits, especially during refrigeration or freezing. If you’re cooking ahead or expect a lot of leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to individual servings just before reheating.
Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of chicken broth as needed to restore the soup’s original consistency.
Reader Review
I found your recipe last year and it has been one of our go to soups ever since. We love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
More Italian Soup Recipes
If you enjoy this Italian chicken soup with escarole and pasta, there are a few other Italian soups worth exploring. Minestrone Soup with Sausage is a hearty, vegetable-forward option enriched with sausage and best served with bread for dipping; Italian Wedding Soup pairs tender greens with delicate meatballs in a light but satisfying broth; and Stracciatella Soup comes together quickly with chicken broth, silky egg ribbons, spinach, and small pasta for an easy weeknight dinner.
Italian Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, about 2-1/2 lbs, skin removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 8 cups roughly chopped escarole, see notes for substitutions
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat (use the “sauté” function on the Instant Pot for this step). Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on top of the vegetables and pour in 3 cups of the chicken broth. (This creates the initial cooking liquid.)
- STOVETOP METHOD: Cover the pot, bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender and cooked through.
- INSTANT POT METHOD: Cancel the sauté function, secure the lid, and set the Instant Pot to Manual (High Pressure) for 18 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, carefully perform a manual pressure release by turning the steam valve to the venting position.
- For either cooking method, use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board and allow them to cool slightly.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth to the pot (lid off) and bring the soup to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat (switch back to the "sauté" function on the Instant Pot for this step).
- Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the escarole and diced tomatoes and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the greens are wilted, 3 to 5 minutes longer.
- While the pasta finishes cooking, remove the bones from the chicken thighs, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I found your recipe last year and it has been one of our go to soups ever since. We love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Hi HS,
We’re so glad you like this soup and really appreciate you taking the time to let us know. Thank you!!!
I think it needs more broth. I added extra seasonings and browned chicken then deglazed then pressure cooked. No greens cooked pastina for about 6 mins and only half of the recipe
It is tasty
Hi Gina,
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the flavors in the soup. When you’re cutting the number of portions in half, it can throw off the solid to liquid ratio of the recipe so it’s understandable that you would have had to add more broth. Different cuts and brands of pasta can absorb more liquid too.
It is SOOO GOOD! I used spinach and yum! I make it for my friends when they are sick, and they love it!