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: PT20M
Cook time: PT35M
Total time: PT55M
Rating
5 stars (25 reviews)
Keywords
Chicken Pastina Soup, Italian Chicken Pastina Soup, Italian Nonna's Penicillin Soup, Italian Penicillin Soup
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)
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!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 142 kcal
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0.05 g
Cholesterol: 15 mg
Sodium: 471 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Reviews
Susan Roth on 2025-08-29 (5 stars): Awesome super delicious chicken soup. I have made it twice in one week! Easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly, but I did add more pasta. I did buy the Vidalia Chopper thanks to your recommendation and what a time saver. I love that little chopper!
Olivia Krauss on 2025-04-09 (5 stars): Hi!
How many grams in each serving please :)
Nicole V. on 2025-03-27 (5 stars): I found this recipe online and I'm grateful I did. I've made it 3 times already. I have not used the pepper in recipe because I did not have it on hand but it still came out outstanding. I've used chicken thighs, chicken breast, and leftover rotisserie chicken. You literally cannot go wrong as long as the "base" is achieved with the veggies. My Nonna would be so proud of me!
Michelle on 2025-02-24 (5 stars): This soup is a process and take time to enjoy the prep. I made it exactly like the recipe. It came out great. I did adjust the amount of salt... needed more. This is definately a bowl of comfort.
