What's one of the best restaurant soups that's even better made at home?! In my opinion, it's Carrabba's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup. It's actually now called Mama Mandola's Chicken Soup on the menu but it's the same soup. It's the perfect hearty meal or side dish! The spice level is adjustable, and it's full of flavor from the chicken, vegetables, and seasonings. It's one of my all-time favorite soups!
I crave this soup and it's one of my favorites but we don't go to Carrabba's very often. That's why it's so great to have this recipe when the craving hits. This soup recipe is similar to a traditional chicken soup but with even more flavor and that hint of spice! Add some warm bread on the side and you'll be in heaven! I will admit, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice but this soup has just the right amount. If you want a totally mild version, you can always leave out the red pepper flakes.
Ingredients in Carrabba's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 celery ribs
- 3 carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 russet potato
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 and ½ pounds chicken breast (or thighs)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 and ½ cups ditalini pasta (or shape of your choice)
I know it looks like a long list of ingredients but this chicken soup is actually really easy to make. And dare I say - making it fresh at home tastes even better than in the restaurant! (shhh!) Most of the work in this recipe is just cutting the vegetables. Once you've done that, you're ready to start cooking.
I like to sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, and carrots first to really bring out the flavor. If you're in a hurry, you could skip this step and just add everything to the pot at once (except the pasta).
After cooking the veggies, the rest of the ingredients to into the pot. Just leave out the pasta at this point.
Once the ingredients are in the pot, bring it to a simmer for about 40 minutes. Then you'll pull out the chicken pieces, shred it, return it to the the pot and add in the pasta.
Boil again to cook the pasta according to the time for your specific pasta. I like to use ditalini pasta since that what the original soup uses but you can use any pasta shape you like. Once the pasta is done, you've officially made your own (even better) version of Carrabba's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup!
Carrabba's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup (Aka: Mama Mandola's Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 celery ribs (cut into slices)
- 3 carrots (peeled and cut into slices)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- ½ cup red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 and ½ pounds chicken breast
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 russet potato (cut into ½ inch cubes)
- 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit for a mild version)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 and ½ cups ditalini pasta
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil, celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes until the vegetables just start to soften.
- Add in the: chicken breast (I like to cut mine in half to make shredding easier), garlic, potatoes, can of tomatoes, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, water, and chicken broth. Bring this to a full boil for about a minute then lower to a low simmer for 45 minutes - covered.
- After the 45 minutes, pull out the cooked chicken and shred. You can just pull it apart using 2 forks. Add the chicken back to the pot along with your pasta and bring to a full boil again. Cook for the amount of time needed for your pasta. (Ditalini is typically about 10 minutes)
- We like to serve our soup with a little extra parsley on top and a few pieces of bread for dipping.
- We love to make this super easy focaccia bread to go with this soup!
Notes
- The red pepper flakes give this soup a slight spice. Feel free to adjust. You can leave it out completely for a milder version or add extra if you like things spicier.
- If you plan on storing left overs, I would cook the pasta in a separate pot of water and just add it to each bowl when serving. If you store pasta in the soup, it can get too mushy.
- Feel free to try different cuts of chicken in this recipe if you prefer. Dark meat would work just as well.
- A tablespoon of salt seems like a lot but keep in mind that pasta and potatoes absorb a lot of sodium so the soup won't taste "salty". But feel free to adjust if you are sensitive to sodium.
- To make this in the slow cooker, just add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker (with the exception of the pasta). Cook on low for 6 hours then shred chicken and add in cooked pasta to serve.
Other recipes you might like:
- One Pot Italian Chicken and Orzo
- Sausage and Tortellini Soup
- Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken, Potatoes, and Croutons
- Easy Rosemary Focaccia Bread
- Easy Italian Bread
Alisa Infanti says
This is perfect for a cold winter day!
Toni says
I loved how comforting this is!! My whole family really loved it!
Ashleigh says
I didn’t drain the tomato’s. Will it make a huge difference?
Gloria says
Nothing beats homemade soup. We are in for 3 days of snow here. This is just the recipe I need since lots of shovelling is going to be taking place. Perfect way to warm up.
Roxana says
Oh my goodness, this is a show stopper. Looks so good. And it was packed with flavor.
Hayley Dhanecha says
You can't beat a homemade spicy soup that is packed with full of flavours and textures. Perfect for cold nights.
Heidy says
This is a great-looking copycat, and I bet it is delicious! I love how hearty and comforting it looks.
Janet says
I just had the Sicilian Chicken soup at Carrabba’s this week, so it was still fresh in my memory. This is an excellent recipe, and tasted the same. I was tired of my traditional chicken noodle, and love all the herbs and some heat in this from the red pepper.
Coco and Ash says
So glad you enjoyed the soup! Thank you!
Peggy says
Although this version looks delicious and I will definitely try it when I’m in the mood for pasta. I ate at this restaurant a week ago this soup had no pasta in it it had chopped cabbage and white cannoli beans but everything else looks the same in the recipe probably delicious either way
Coco and Ash says
It may have been a different soup they had on the menu. But I hope you get to try this and enjoy it! 🙂
Erin says
Do you cook the chicken before adding to the pot or do you add it raw and let it boil to cook?
Coco and Ash says
Raw 🙂
Vanessa Justino says
Such a fantastic recipe. It tastes just like the restaurant version, but with more ingredients. Sooo good! We like it spicy so I used 3/4 tsp of red crushed pepper, a couple more cloves of garlic too, it was perfect for us. THANK YOU!!
Coco and Ash says
So glad you enjoyed the soup!!
April says
This was absolutely amazing, my family and friends have been asking me to make over and over.
Terrassenüberdachung mit Montage says
Great website, thanks for the great recipes... I'll use them again in the future 😉 THANK YOU !!! Greetings from Germany
N. says
I used to work at Carrabba's an eon ago with my husband, the secret is white pepper 🌶️ hot but not too spicy. My daughter loves it and will eat it night and day, I just use garlic and onion powder for her instead- turns out perfect! 💖
Kendra says
Subbed the potato for zucchini added with the ditalini. Yum!
Chris T says
I've eaten this soup every month for 10 years at Carrabba's and it's never had potatoes... and since they have the pasta precooked and sitting to the side to add to each bowl as ordered so it won't get soft and gooey you can request no pasta! Awesome for a low-carb soup option! I love your addition of zucchini!
Chris T says
Wow! I posted that like 10 min ago and am looking up the recipe as I'm eating my leftover soup from Carrabba's-- no potatoes as usual--but wait! What's that small brown square stuck to the side of my bowl!? It's a potato skin! How have I never seen any indication of potatoes in all of these years? I guess they're cooked down to be the thickener... there went my great idea for a low-carb soup when eating out. But at home I'll still do the zucchini change-out!
Coco and Ash says
haha glad you noticed them! And I'm glad you're enjoying the recipe!
Angela Leggett says
Is it ok to use rotisserie cooked shredded chicken instead of chicken breast?
Coco and Ash says
Sure! You might miss out a little flavor from cooking the chicken in the broth but if you’re in a pinch, a rotisserie is totally fine! 🙂
Kathryn B Jasper says
Love this soup, but a gentle suggestion. The cook time is misleading. 45 minutes (excluding prep) but it has to saute 10, then bring to a boil, then cook 45, then cook 10 min with pasta so it’s really more like 75 min cook time. Just giving an fyi to busy moms!
Maria says
Delicious! Thank you.
Maureen Reilly says
Isn't 45 minutes a long time to simmer chicken breasts? I'm concerned that they will be tough.
Coco and Ash says
Hi Maureen! That’s a good question. Chicken breasts only get tough when they are heated quickly like during a heavy boil. If it’s a very slow simmer, they’ll be just fine and give you lots of flavor! I hope that helps. Enjoy!
Maureen Reilly says
I'm making it now. I'll let you know how it comes out. Thank you!
Jennie says
Hi! Excited to try out this recipe just have a quick question do you drain the tomatoes?
Coco and Ash says
Yes. Drained 🙂 sorry about that!
Marc says
As a former carrabbas employee, I have to let you in on a secret....
That real nice spice comes from white pepper and not red pepper. Give that a shot and I'll bet you'll love the difference.
Sara says
This soup was great. Made it just like the recipe. Added some Parmesan to my bowl. Husband and friend approved. Thanks!
Stephanie says
Do you have the nutritional information for this soup? So good!
Kathryn B Jasper says
Love this soup, but a gentle suggestion. The cook time is misleading. 45 minutes (excluding prep) but it has to saute 10, then bring to a boil, then cook 45, then cook 10 min with pasta so it’s really more like 75 min cook time. Just giving an fyi to busy moms!