Carrabba's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup Recipe

Community Pick

Submitted by Johncn

"I tried three of the available recipes for this Carrabba's chicken soup dish - usually called "Mamma Mandola's Sicillian Chicken Soup" - and was not quite getting the results I wanted. I'm NOT a cook, and live literally thousands of miles away from the nearest Carrabba's restaurant, so I had to improvise a little on the three recipes I found. I am quite happy with the results, though, and it's the closest I've made to this recipe. It is also a big batch, but I figured if I was spending an afternoon making soup, I should have some to freeze. I have used a 20 quart stockpot for this recipe (ideal), and a 16 quart (just barely fits) stockpot.Note: I do not have a local grocery store, so had to substitute some ingredients that you many not have to....but it worked for me. ;-)"

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photo by Johncn

Ready In:: 3hrs 15mins
Ingredients:: 15
Yields:: 1 Can be frozen and microwaved to serve over ditalin
Serves:: 12-16

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ingredients

olive oil
3 medium sweet onions
2 ¹⁄₂ medium green peppers
10 hearts celery (I estimated 8 whole stalks, but only had hearts)
8 -10 medium carrots (6 large would be enough)
8 medium sized potatoes, roughly diced (maybe just 4-5 larger Idaho baking potatoes?)
10 -12 garlic cloves
4 quarts chicken stock (2 from boxed broth, 2 from concentrate)
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes, 28 oz can and (I used "Generic" Safeway Diced Petite, (1, 1)
1 cup of chopped parsley
white pepper (2 tablespoons total?)
black pepper (1.5 or 2 tablespoons?)
salt (1.5 tablespoon?, and then salted to taste at end)
2 lbs ditalini, as needed when serving (or stubby pasta of choice)

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directions

In a large stockpot (16 quart minimum / 20 quart recommended) heat olive oil under fairly low to medium heat.
"Sweat" onion, celery, green pepper and some salt (to draw off moisture) for perhaps 30 minutes -- this is lower than browning, and makes the veggies somewhat translucent. I covered, and mixed every few minutes to prevent browning.
Add carrots, garlic, some white pepper and some black pepper, and continue to heat under "sweat" conditions while mixing now and then.
Add chicken stock, chicken breasts, tomatoes and potatoes -- and of course some more white pepper and black pepper.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours (or use crock pot?).
Remove chicken and let cool and stand to shred.
Add chopped parsley and return the shredded chicken to the soup.
Salt to taste at this point, and add more white and black pepper if your tongue is not twitching a bit when you sample. ;-).
Simmer while cooking ditalini (or other stubby pasta).
Serve soup over cooked pasta to taste.
Note: Like many soups, this may be better made the day before and then served when needed. We will freeze some for ready-made meals and I think it will work out well.

Questions & Replies

What do you mean by sweat conditions?

dabell47
Is there a way to do it all from scratch in the crock pot?

LisaSites
Could I possibly used canned shredded chicken? Or would the flavor not be there? I am low on cooking supplies

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alaina.jacob
How much olive oil do you use?

William O.
Do you know how many calories for the pot this is? Or how many calories per cup serving?

misti.gartner

see 3 more questions

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Reviews

This is delicious and easily made in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

peggy h
Ok, so I am in absolute Carrabba heaven right now! Came out just like the restaurant same texture and all! And it's the first day can't wait to taste tomorrow when the flavor sets. I'm giving some away and freezing the rest. I only made a couple very small changes. First off I used all (nearly) the same ingredients and portions I only followed what another reviewer said about it being too much for one large pot. I think the only pot that this would fit in is a Lobster pot or something. So I used my two largest pots and it was still a bit of a squeeze (I split all the ingredients in the two pots to the letter and cooked them side by side at the same time). That first step of sweating the onions, celery and peppers seemed a bit long however, I think it made the difference since there is not much seasoning -I kept fighting the urge to add more seasonings but i decided I wanted to follow the recipe, stay the course and see the turnout. My main change besides the two pots was the chicken- I used 6 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) bone-in and I took the skin off it. When it was time to remove the chicken it was falling off the bone very easy to remove and pull the chicken apart (I used tongs to pull them out to help keep it together). My Carrabbas for sure uses dark meat and I enjoy dark meat in some soups and white meat in say a chicken tortilla soup. But that's about it on the changes everything else is true to the recipe. I wish I had the quality fresh made pasta that Carrabba's uses but the Barilla did the trick for the day- Im going to look for fresh pasta next time. But I have to admit it was still so good with out the pasta you could go gluten free and still enjoy it- it still tastes just like it. My final icing on the cake was that cheese that they fresh grate in the soup for you at the restaurant, I bought a fresh shredded blend of romano and parmesan (I really think it needs to be fresh not that stuff they sell unrefrigerated in the can) It melts in and adds that extra Carrabba taste! Superb! Thanks for this post!

Mink E.
This soup is AMAZING! Tastes exactly like Carraba's!! I followed the recipe exactly, except I added a little more white pepper (because I like it spicy) and topped it with grated Parmesan cheese!

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Ashley W.
I am not easily impressed with soups. I was IMPRESSED with this recipe. It is SOUPER yummy with lots of flavor and very spicy. I will definitely put this recipe in my recipe box.

pvink
I've made this recipe three times and we love it. Just half the recipe if it is too much for you to eat. It's really good.

rose001bud

see 19 more reviews

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Tweaks

I was the assistant kitchen manager at Carrabba's for 7 years and I just wanted to add a quick tweak. When you pull the chicken out before you shred it take a potato masher a handheld potato masher and smash the vegetables until you have some small and medium sized pieces that's what we do at the restaurant and then we add the chicken. Also if you make the soup a day in advance it has better flavor.

Adam P.
I used 1 tablespoon each black pepper and white pepper and just over 1/2 T salt. I thought it was good, but my husband asked me to cut back on the pepper next time, so will probably do 2 teaspoons each of black and white pepper. I also used 8 chicken thighs which I salted and peppered and then browned in olive oil in a cast iron skillet before adding. Chicken thighs are tasty, inexpensive, and easy to remove the skin and de-bone. Cooking the chicken in the soup with the skin and bone adds flavor.

Cathy K.
I halved the recipe, sautéed veggies in the Instant Pot, then added all ingredients except pasta, cooked for 15 minutes then quick release. I cooked pasta separately since it tends to get too mushy.

peggy h
Nothing!

Pam W.