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Italian Chicken Pastina Soup (aka Italian Nonna's Penicillin Soup)

This cozy, comforting Chicken Pastina Soup is also called Italian Nonna's Penicillin soup because it's known to cure just about anything that ails you! It hits the spot on a chilly day, for sure!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 142 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup
Cuisine: Italian , Italian-American Fussion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large onion diced small
  • 1 large shallot finely chopped
  • 4 stalks celery diced small
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper diced small
  • 4 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth maybe more
  • 1 pound carrots diced small
  • 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
  • ⅓ cup uncooked pastina tiny pasta, double if you like a lot of pasta
  • 2½ -3 cups rotisserie or leftover chicken
  • grated parmesan for serving
  • finely chopped fresh rosemary and/or fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Remove the parmesan rind, if you used one. With a slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the diced veggies and set aside.
  4. With an immersion blender (or a regular blender) puree the broth/veggie mixture in the pot until smooth.
  5. ****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.
  6. 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.)
  7. Add the rotisserie (or leftover) chicken and the reserved veggies. Stir to combine. Cover and allow the soup to rest for 20 minutes.
  8. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
  9. Serve with grated parmesan, a scatter of finely chopped fresh rosemary or fresh thyme leaves (or both) and fresh ground black pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

  • See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
  • If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition Information

Calories 142kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0.05g Cholesterol 15mg (5%) Sodium 471mg (20%) Potassium 471mg (13%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 7725IU (155%) Vitamin C 39mg (43%) Calcium 41mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 142

% 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.