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Carrabba's spicy sicilian soup recipe
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Carrabba's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup (Aka: Mama Mandola's Chicken Soup)

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 bowls
Author Coco and Ash

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.