When you make something for the first time and it turns out amazing, you know it’s a keeper! That’s what happened with this recipe. It actually comes from one of my favorite Italian restaurants called Carrabba’s Italian Grill-have you been there? It’s one of those lovely restaurants that bring out soft sourdough bread to dip in olive oil and herbs, your soup or salad comes out next, and then finally your main meal; and if you’re lucky, or have paced yourself, you may actually have room to eat it. 

Each time I go however, I order this soup. It’s so warm and filling, and you feel great after eating it! It even stores well for leftovers! So imagine my excitement to find out that Carrabba’s actually posted this recipe to share with the world! Yea!! And I must say, it tastes just as amazing at home as it does at the restaurant! 

In this recipe Carrabba’s starts with cooking a whole chicken to make the chicken stock. This is what gives the soup the amazing flavor and nutritional benefits that it has. However, if you tend to make chicken stock this way on a regular basis and freeze it like I do, then all you need is good quality chicken stock and some shredded chicken left over from your whole chicken, or you can crockpot some chicken to get that tender, fall-apart type chicken to use instead, in which case, you’ll be able to make this soup much quicker. 

Do you have a favorite soup from a restaurant you love? 🙂 Please share in the comments below!

Carrabba's Sicilian Chicken Soup

2015-12-28 15:13:47

Serves 8

Carrabba's Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup Recipe!

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Ingredients

1. 1 whole chicken, about 4 ½ pounds, giblets removed (Or 8 cups of pre-made, good-quality chicken stock, and 1-2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded-to make this quicker)
2. 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped ( I reduced this to 1/4 cup of onions)
3. 3 celery sticks, diced
4. 3 carrots, diced
5. 3 green bell peppers, cored and diced (I did not add this, and it still tasted great!-so optional)
6. 3 medium baking potatoes, such as russet or Burbank, peeled and diced
7. 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
8. ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used 2 Tablespoons of dried parsley)
9. 4 garlic cloves, chopped (or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic)
10. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
11. 1 cup ditalini or other “soup pasta” (I used salad pasta which basically looks the same)

Instructions

1. Put the whole chicken, onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and their juices in a large soup pot and add enough cold water to cover it all by one inch. Bring it to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.* (See notes for the quicker version)
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is falling off the bones, about 2 hours.
3. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large bowl and let cool for about 20 minutes. Keep the soup in the pot simmering.
4. Remove the meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and bones, taking care not to mangle the meat and keeping it in neat pieces. Tear or pull the boned chicken into large bite-sized pieces. (Tip: We prefer hand-pulled chicken to chopped chunks)
5. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste. Add the ditalini and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain well. (Tip: do not add uncooked pasta to the soup, or it will soak up too much broth during cooking and make the soup very thick.)
6. Use a large slotted spoon or a potato masher, mash some potatoes in the pot to lightly thicken the broth. Add the chicken and pasta to the pot. Season salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Notes

1. *If you already have chicken stock prepared, then just put all of the ingredients, except the pasta, into the chicken stock with the pre-cooked shredded chicken and cook over medium heat, cook until all vegetables are tender. While the soup is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions. (Do not add the pasta to the soup. You will add it, just before serving).
2. Once the vegetables are tender, use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes. This helps to thicken the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta, and serve warm. Enjoy!!

Adapted from Carrabba's Tableside

Adapted from Carrabba's Tableside

My Homemade Heaven https://myhomemadeheaven.com/