Italian 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.

There are probably as many versions of Chicken Pastina Soup in Italy as there are beloved nonnas, each one having its own little variations. It’s also often made without the chicken. This is my personal rendition of the beloved 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
• 2½ -3 cups rotisserie or leftover chicken
• grated Parmesan, for serving
• finely chopped fresh rosemary and/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.
• With a slotted spoon, removed 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

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

Calories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 471mgPotassium: 471mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 7725IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mgki