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Delicious East European solyanka soup served with bread, perfect for a cozy meal.

Italian Chicken-Tomato Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. The crushed tomatoes and crushed red pepper gives this soup its wonderful zing!
When you need a comforting, no-fuss meal, this Tomato Chicken Soup is the answer. It’s a humble, hearty soup built on a base of tender chicken and rich tomatoes, with flexible vegetables that let you use what you have. Skip the Italian herbs for its unique, straightforward flavor, or add them for a twist. It’s the perfect easy dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rest 5 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: dinner, Entree, Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

The Foundation
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
The Vegetables (Choose Up To 2 Cups of Your Favorite Combination)
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 cup frozen Italian-style green beans
For a Hearty Meal (Choose One)
  • 2 cups white rice cooked
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans rinsed and drained

Method
 

Prepare the Chicken:
  1. Cut the 1 pound of chicken into uniform, bite-sized pieces.
  2. In a 5-6 quart stockpot, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.
  3. Add the chopped chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
Build the Soup:
  1. While the chicken is cooking, chop the onion and green pepper into bite-sized pieces, and use kitchen shears or a knife to roughly chop the stewed tomatoes directly in their can.
  2. Once the chicken is done, add the chopped stewed tomatoes (with all their juices), the crushed tomatoes, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot.
  3. If you are using any of the optional vegetables (onion, green pepper, frozen Italian green beans), add them now.
  4. Bring the soup to a gentle bubble. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and ensures any vegetables you added become perfectly tender.
Serve:
  1. To serve, you can stir the cooked rice or black beans directly into the pot to make it a hearty meal, or portion the rice or beans into individual bowls and ladle the hot soup over the top.
  2. Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side.

Notes

  • Why No Italian Herbs? This soup is intentionally designed to have a pure, straightforward tomato and chicken flavor. Adding dried oregano or basil will significantly change its character to resemble a pasta sauce. We love it as is, but feel free to add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning with the tomatoes if that's your preference!
  • Ultra-Simple Version: For the most basic version of this soup, use only the chicken, both cans of tomatoes, and the seasonings. It’s delicious in its simplicity!