Carrabba's Chicken Noodle Soup
This copycat Carrabba's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe recreates the legendary Mama Mandola's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup right in your own kitchen. Loaded with tender shredded bone-in chicken thighs, a hearty medley of carrots, celery, onion, green bell pepper, and russet potato, all simmered in a deeply flavorful broth seasoned with oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and white pepper, this is so much more than ordinary chicken noodle soup. Ditalini pasta soaks up every drop of that rich, spiced broth, making each bowl a complete and satisfying Italian-inspired meal that tastes even better the next day.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot - 6-quart or larger recommended
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or heat-safe silicone spatula
- Bear claw meat shredders - Two forks work as an alternative
- Potato masher - (optional) for thickening the broth
- Medium saucepan - For cooking pasta separately
- Colander or strainer - For draining cooked pasta
- Ladle - For serving
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Tongs or large slotted spoon - For removing chicken from pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - about 900g, approximately 4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - about 1 cup or 150g, diced
- 3 stalks celery - about 1 cup or 100g, diced; include leafy tops if available
- 3 medium carrots - about 1 cup or 130g, peeled and diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper - about 1 cup or 120g, diced
- 1 medium russet potato - about 1½ cups or 200g, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes - 411g, 1 standard can, with juices
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 960ml
- 4 cups water - 960ml
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley - 15g, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt - plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - adjust to taste; up to 1 teaspoon for more heat
- 1½ cups ditalini pasta - 150g, uncooked; elbow macaroni or small shells work as substitutes
For Serving
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese - optional, to taste
Instructions
- Dice the onion, celery, carrots, and green bell pepper into small ¼-inch (6mm) pieces, peel and cube the russet potato into ½-inch pieces, mince the garlic, and roughly chop the fresh parsley. Uniform sizing ensures even cooking throughout.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, then add the onion, celery, carrots, and green bell pepper and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the diced potato, canned diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Stir in the chopped parsley, kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, and red pepper flakes until fully combined.
- Nestle the bone-in chicken thighs into the liquid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the broth has deepened in flavor.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board and let them cool for 5 minutes. Discard the skin and bones, then shred the meat into bite-sized pieces using two forks or meat shredding claws and set aside.
- Use a potato masher to lightly press on some of the softened potatoes and vegetables directly in the pot to slightly thicken the broth without fully pureeing it. Stir to incorporate the mashed vegetables evenly throughout.
- Bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the ditalini pasta 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions indicate (al dente). Drain through a colander and set aside.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot, add the drained ditalini, and stir gently to combine. Simmer together for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed before ladling into bowls.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread or warm dinner rolls on the side.
Notes
- Always use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs rather than chicken breast. The bones add collagen and richness to the broth that chicken breast simply cannot replicate.
- Cook the pasta in a separate pot and store it separately from the soup. Pasta stored in broth will absorb liquid, swell, and become mushy within hours.
- The mashing step is key to the restaurant texture. Lightly pressing the cooked potato and carrots thickens the broth naturally without any added starches or flour.
- Start with ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a mild warmth and increase to 1 or 1½ teaspoons if you prefer more heat. White pepper adds a different, subtler heat to the dish.
- This soup tastes significantly better the next day. Make it a day ahead and store in the refrigerator overnight for deepened, more developed flavor.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, simply substitute gluten-free short pasta such as gluten-free ditalini, elbows, or small shells. The rest of the recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- For a slow cooker version, sauté the vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything except the pasta to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, then shred the chicken and stir in separately cooked pasta before serving.
- For a quick shortcut, substitute shredded rotisserie chicken for the raw chicken thighs. Add it during the last 10 minutes of simmering to cut the total cook time significantly.
- Freeze the soup base (without pasta) in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Cook fresh pasta when ready to serve and add it to the reheated broth.
- Refrigerate leftovers (soup and pasta stored separately) in airtight containers for up to 4 to 5 days.