Italian Chicken Pastina Soup (aka Italian Nonna's Penicillin Soup)
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
35 mins
-
Total Time
55 mins
-
Servings
10 servings
-
Calories
142 kcal
-
Course
Main Course, Soup
-
Cuisine
Italian, Italian-American Fussion
Italian Chicken Pastina Soup (aka Italian Nonna's Penicillin Soup)
Description
This soup begins by gently sautéing onion, shallot, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil and butter, which builds a savory base. Chicken broth, diced carrot, kosher salt, and a parmesan rind simmer together until the vegetables soften and deepen the soup's flavor.
Part of the cooked vegetables are puréed to thicken and smooth the broth, while the rest remain whole to add body. Tiny pastina pasta is stirred in along with shredded rotisserie chicken, allowing the pasta to cook to tender. Fresh rosemary or thyme adds herbal notes just before serving, and grated parmesan can be sprinkled on top as garnish.
This soup serves well as a restorative meal, especially when feeling under the weather, hence the "Nonna's Penicillin" nickname. It pairs nicely with rustic bread and can be adjusted for heartiness by doubling pasta amount. The steps are straightforward yet produce a balanced, warm comfort soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion diced small
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 4 talks celery diced small
- 1 large yellow bell pepper diced small
- 4 medium garlic minced, cloves
- 8 cups chicken broth maybe more, low-sodium
- 1 pound carrot diced small
- 1 parmesan optional, rind
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
- ⅓ cup pastina tiny pasta, double if you like a lot of pasta, uncooked
- 2½ -3 cups rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken
- Parmesan Cheese for serving, grated
- rosemary finely chopped fresh, or fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot or medium heat. Add the oil, butter, onion, shallot, celery and bell pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, carrots, parmesan rind (if using) and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes (uncovered) or until the veggies are nice and tender.
- Remove the parmesan rind, if you used one. With a slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the diced veggies and set aside.
- With an immersion blender (or a regular blender) puree the broth/veggie mixture in the pot until smooth.
- ****NOTE: If you use a regular blender, be sure to let the mixture cool down a bit before blending. Also, remove the center cap on the blender top and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or several thicknesses of paper towels. This will allow the heat to vent and prevent it from building up.
- Add the pasta, bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook, uncovered for whatever the time on your bag or box of pastina instructs. (Acini de pepe takes 9 minutes.)
- Add the rotisserie (or leftover) chicken and the reserved veggies. Stir to combine. Cover and allow the soup to rest for 20 minutes.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
- Serve with grated parmesan, a scatter of finely chopped fresh rosemary or fresh thyme leaves (or both) and fresh ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using a regular blender to purée, cool the soup slightly and vent the lid properly to prevent pressure buildup.
- The recipe offers a metric toggle for measurements above instructions.
- Parmesan rind adds depth; remove before blending and serving.
- Adjust pasta quantity to preference for more heartiness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 142 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 142kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.05g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 471mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 471mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 7725IU | 155% |
| Vitamin C | 39mg | 43% |
| Calcium | 41mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
