Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup (With Ground Chicken)

Name: Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground chicken; 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil; 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning; 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ yellow onion (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon salt; ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (cut into strips); 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 4 oz. ditalini pasta; 6 cups chicken broth; 2 cups torn spinach; 1 cup blended cottage cheese; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

By Emily Richter

10/27/2025

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Creamy, flavorful, and comes together in under an hour! My marry me chicken soup is made with ground chicken, and a creamy protein-packed twist thanks to blended cottage cheese. It’s a fun take on the viral favorite that’s sure to impress — or dare I say, inspire a proposal ❤️.

A bowl of tomato-based soup with pasta, chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated cheese, with a spoon resting inside and fresh spinach on the side.

recipe highlights ⤵️

Inspired by the viral marry me chicken pasta! I took all the flavors you love in marry me chicken pasta, and put it in soup form 😏😏😏.
Comes together in under an hour: AKA great for busy weeknights.
Super customizable: You can use any pasta shape, you can even substitute the ground chicken for a store-bought rotisserie chicken in a pinch.

Why It’s Called “Marry Me” Chicken

As the story goes, marry me chicken is so good it inspired proposals! The trend started back in 2016, and recipe creators have been making their own twist on it ever since. Marry me chicken pasta, marry me chicken casseroles, and even marry me chicken soups like this one!

Key Ingredients

Seasoned ground chicken: You’ll need ground chicken and Italian seasoning for the pseudo meatballs. Instead of rolling out meatballs, I like to season the ground chicken and add it all into the dutch oven and then break apart the chicken into pieces that emulate the shape of meatballs. It’s easier, faster, and I’m here for it.

Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: The sun-dried tomatoes and oil add so much delicious flavor to this soup. I do not recommend skipping or substituting these as they are crucial to the flavor of the soup.

Fun pasta: I like to use ditalini pasta (what’s in the photos!), but feel free to use your favorite pasta shape. I’ve also made this with bow tie, penne and rigatoni.

Blended cottage cheese: This is my favorite way to add creaminess (and a boost of protein!) to soups. You’ll add this right at the end, but make sure to remove the soup from heat before doing so. Adding cold cottage cheese to a hot soup can cause it to curdle. If this happens to you, just keep stirring the soup until smooth.

Raw ground meat topped with dried herbs and spices in a clear glass bowl on a light textured surface.

A white pot contains cooked chunks of sausage, chopped onions, minced garlic, and tomato paste on a light countertop.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken Soup

Prepare the chicken: Add the ground chicken, sun-dried tomato oil, and Italian seasoning to a bowl and mix it all together. Add the seasoned chicken to a heated dutch oven with olive oil, and break the chicken apart into bite-sized pieces (similar to unrolled meatballs), and brown on all sides. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and tomato paste to the Dutch oven, and stir it together.
Add the pasta and broth: Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer and cook until the pasta is al dente. Make sure to stir it occasionally so the noodles don’t stick to the bottom.
Add the spinach: Once the noodles are fully cooked, stir in the torn spinach.
Remove from the heat and stir in the blended cottage cheese: Depending on how hot the soup is, the cottage cheese may curdle (this has happened to me a few times when the soup is still really hot!). Just keep stirring until smooth.
Serve and enjoy! Top with grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy this delicious soup.

What to Serve With It

I love serving this marry me chicken soup with crusty bread, or if I have time, my high-protein dinner rolls.

Want to pair it with a salad? I recommend my caesar salad or French carrot salad.

Storage & Reheating

Let this soup cool completely before adding it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 5-7 days.

To reheat: Reheat over medium heat on the stovetop until warm. I like to keep my leftover soup in the same dutch oven I made it in to reduce dishes (IYKYK with kids 😋).

Freezing Instructions

This soup freezes super well! Allow it to cool completely before placing in an airtight container (I honestly like freezing in a freezer-safe ziploc!). Make sure that you remove as much air as possible from the freezer-safe container. Mark the container with a ‘use by’ date and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Tutorial

How to Freeze Soup & Chili

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More Cozy Soup Recipes

A pot of tomato-based soup with meatballs and spinach, a wooden spoon resting inside. Nearby are bowls of fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

FAQs

Can I use rotisserie chicken for this soup?

Definitely! I’ve done this in a pinch when I don’t have time to make the meatballs. Simply shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and add it into the soup before the blended cottage cheese. Allow the chicken to warm up in the broth before serving.

Is Marry Me Chicken Soup spicy?

This marry me chicken soup is very savory in flavor, but not spicy. Feel free to add red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce if you’d like to spice things up.