Pastina Soup (aka Italian Penicillin)

Pastina Soup is brothy, satisfying, and really easy too! Often known as Italian Penicillin, this nourishing soup recipe will treatment no matter ails you. Heat up and really feel higher with a scrumptious bowl of soup that feeds the physique and soul.

There’s been a minimum of one particular person in my household sick at any given second over the previous three months, which suggests I’ve made extra batches of Pastina Soup, aka Italian Penicillin, then I can rely!

My children and I’ve even developed a chant we sing time and again as I scoop ladlefuls of steaming broth into their bowls:

“Sewp! Sewp! We. Love. Sewp!“

Possibly you needed to be there.

Whether or not you’re sick, effectively, or someplace in between, you’re going to like every spoonful of this brothy, nourishing, EASY soup. It’s like liquid gold!

Pastina — aka Italian Penicillin — Soup

Pastina Soup is a tackle Hen Noodle Soup. Just like the soul-satisfying traditional, this model requires broth, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, plus recent and dried herbs, and pasta. Not like typical hen soup although, the greens are boiled then blended into the broth which supplies the soup a bit physique.

Pastina Soup additionally goes by the identify “Italian Penicillin” as a result of it’s the BEST if you’ve obtained a head chilly or the flu and want one thing comforting and nourishing that takes little or no effort to make.

What’s Pastina?

Pastina refers to small pasta shapes and interprets to: “little pasta” in Italian. Acini di pepe and orzo are sorts of pastina, and Barilla even sells mini star pasta they label as “pastina”.

All that mentioned, I really like utilizing Jovial model gluten free “stelline” pasta which is tiny star-shaped pasta made with brown rice. They work completely on this recipe.

Components Wanted

This soup recipe falls into “the sum is bigger than its elements” class, which means it requires on a regular basis elements which mix to make one thing spectacular. Right here’s what you’ll want:

Hen inventory or bone broth: I really like utilizing home made hen inventory as the bottom of this soup, in any other case Kirkland (Costco) model hen inventory is my store-bought go-to. For those who’re actually beneath the climate, bone broth is implausible for pumping up the vitamin and protein within the soup.
Mirepoix: carrots, celery, and shallot or onion present a lot of taste and vitamin.
Garlic: I’m a garlic lover and have examined this recipe with a head of garlic, all the best way all the way down to 2 cloves, and like the refined taste of a pair garlic cloves.
Contemporary thyme: provides a lot taste. I extremely advocate recent, however dried will do in a pinch.
Bay leaf: infuses the broth with taste.
Parmesan cheese rind: in the event you don’t already, inventory your freezer with a Ziplock bag of parmesan cheese rinds to drop into soup recipes like this one. It’s SHOCKING how a lot taste they add! Discover parmesan cheese rinds on the speciality cheese counter at your grocery retailer.
Additional virgin olive oil: a drizzle added to the soup pot supplies taste and a contact of wanted fats.
Salt and pepper: seasons the soup.
Lemon: a small drizzle added on the finish wakens and brightens the soup. Just like the parmesan cheese rind, it is a should.
Pastina: once more, I like to recommend Jovial model stelline pasta which is gluten free.

Customise Your Pastina Soup

It is a tremendous straight ahead soup recipe that’s simple, excellent as written, and largely fingers off. That mentioned, be happy to decorate it up a bit, if you want!

Add protein: pump up the protein by including diced or shredded hen. Leftover rotisserie, baked, or Air Fried hen work completely.
Add warmth: a pinch or extra of crimson chili pepper flakes is very welcome when you may have the sniffles.
Add taste: I LOVE including a drizzle of truffle oil to my bowl simply earlier than digging in.

Alright, lets get you some Pastina Soup to assuage the abdomen and soul!

Serve with Gluten Free Focaccia

The right way to Make Pastina Soup

Step 1: Prep the greens.

Begin by slicing the ends off then peeling a small yellow onion (or giant shallot), cleansing then trimming a pair ribs of celery, and peeling a pair small/medium-sized carrots.

Roughly chop all of the veggies into hunks. I LOVE that you just don’t should take the time to finely chop or slice the veggies on this recipe which may really feel like numerous effort, particularly if you’re sick.

Step 2: Boil the greens in broth.

Add the chopped greens to a big soup pot or Duch oven with hen inventory or hen bone broth, recent thyme, a bay leaf, parmesan cheese rind, salt, pepper, and drizzle of further virgin olive oil.

Place a lid on prime then flip the warmth to excessive to deliver the liquid to a boil. As soon as boiling, flip the warmth all the way down to low then simmer till the greens are very tender, 20-Half-hour.

Step 3: Mix the greens.

As soon as the greens are very tender, take away the parmesan cheese rind, thyme stems, and bay leaf from the pot then switch the greens to a high-speed blender with a ladleful or two of broth.

Mix till the greens are very easy then pour the puree again into the soup pot and stir to mix. I like so as to add almost all of the pureed greens into the pot as a result of I don’t just like the broth to develop into too thick. Be happy so as to add roughly to get your broth to your required consistency.

Recipe Tip

When you’ve got an immersion blender you’ll be able to mix the veggies proper within the pot!

Step 4: Season the soup.

Add a squeeze of recent lemon juice — the soup shouldn’t style lemony, simply brightened — then style and add extra salt and pepper if crucial.

That’s it! Place a lid on prime of the pot to maintain it heat when you cook dinner the pastina.

Step 5: Prepare dinner the pastina.

Boil the pastina in a pot of salted, boiling water in keeping with the package deal instructions then drain and return to the pot.

These little stars are so satisfying to eat. I simply love them!

Divvy the cooked pastina between bowls then prime with the steaming soup and end with a flourish of freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. A recent loaf of Gluten Free Focaccia, or basket of heat Gluten Free Biscuits are the right final touch.

Leftovers hold effectively within the fridge for 3-5 days, and/or freeze superbly for as much as 3 months. That mentioned, hold the cooked pasta and broth separate when storing within the fridge or freezer.

Whether or not you’re beneath the climate or in good well being — you’ll love each final drop of this soup satisfying soup. Get pleasure from!

Extra Nourishing Soup Recipes

8 cups hen inventory or bone broth
2 small-medium sized carrots, peeled then roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 giant shallot OR small yellow onion, peeled then roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled then smashed
2-3 sprigs recent thyme
1 bay leaf
1 parmesan cheese rind
drizzle further virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon
8 oz gluten free stelline pasta, Jovial model beneficial, see notes
freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

To a big soup pot or Dutch oven add the hen inventory or bone broth, carrots, celery, onion/shallots, garlic, recent thyme, bay leaf, parmesan cheese rind, further virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place a lid on prime then flip the warmth to excessive to deliver the liquid to a boil. As soon as boiling, flip the warmth all the way down to low then simmer with the lid on for 20-Half-hour or till the greens are very tender.
Take away the thyme stems, bay leaf, and parmesan cheese rind then switch the cooked greens right into a blender. Add a ladleful of broth then mix till the greens are very, very easy. Notice: make sure you crack the lid of the blender open to permit steam to flee. Pour some or all the pureed greens again into the soup then stir to mix. Alternatively you need to use an immersion blender to puree the greens within the pot.
Add a squeeze of recent lemon juice — the soup shouldn’t style lemony, simply brightened — then style and add extra salt and pepper to style. Place a lid on prime to maintain the soup heat when you cook dinner the pasta.
Prepare dinner the pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water in keeping with package deal instructions then drain and divide between bowls. Scoop the soup over the cooked pasta then serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

I like to recommend Jovial model gluten free stelline pasta for this soup. For those who don’t have to eat gluten free, you need to use mini stars or acini di pepe.
I like so as to add ~3/4 of the pureed greens again into the broth as a result of I like this soup on the thinner aspect. Be happy so as to add roughly relying in your preferences.

Energy: 263kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 11g, Fats: 5g, Saturated Fats: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Ldl cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 476mg, Potassium: 392mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 142IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg