Italian Chicken Soup with Ditalini Pasta and Escarole Recipe
This comforting Italian Chicken Soup features tender bone-in chicken thighs simmered with classic vegetables, ditalini pasta, and escarole, finished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese for a hearty and flavorful meal perfect for any season.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes (stovetop) or 25 minutes total (Instant Pot including pressure release)
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes (stovetop) or 40 minutes (Instant Pot)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2–1/2 lbs, skin removed)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
Vegetables and Pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 8 cups roughly chopped escarole (can substitute with kale, spinach, or Swiss chard)
Garnishes
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing until softened and fragrant, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute to release its aroma.
- Add Chicken and Broth: Layer the seasoned chicken thighs over the vegetables in the pot. Pour in 3 cups of the low-sodium chicken broth to partially cover the chicken and vegetables.
- Cook the Chicken (Stovetop Method): Cover the pot with a lid, bring the contents to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes or until the chicken thighs are fork-tender and fully cooked through.
- Cook the Chicken (Instant Pot Method): After sautéing, switch your Instant Pot to the ‘manual’ setting and cook at high pressure for 18 minutes. Once cooking is complete, carefully perform a quick release by turning the steam valve to venting.
- Remove and Rest Chicken: Using tongs, transfer the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board, allowing them to cool enough to handle safely.
- Add Remaining Broth and Simmer: Pour the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth into the pot. Bring the soup back to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat.
- Cook Pasta and Add Greens: Add the ditalini pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the escarole and diced tomatoes, cooking until the greens are wilted and pasta is al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes more.
- Shred Chicken: While the pasta cooks, remove the bones from the chicken thighs, shred the meat, and add the shredded chicken back to the soup as soon as the pasta is ready.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Escarole can be substituted with kale, spinach, or Swiss chard if unavailable.
- For a lower sodium option, be sure to use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Skin was removed from thighs for reduced fat content, but leaving skin on adds more richness.
- This soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Keywords: Italian chicken soup, ditalini pasta soup, escarole soup, comfort food, hearty soup, bone-in chicken soup
