Homemade Italian Chicken Pastina Soup is a soul warming soup that's as delicious and traditional as any chicken noodle soup! The fine pasta combines perfectly with the rich broth, tender chicken, and vegetables.
The ultimate classic Italian chicken and pasta soup!
Just like the chicken soup we Americans all know and love, pastina soup is a relied upon treatment for the common cold. The healthy goodness of the broth based pastina soup is wonderful way to hydrate when not feeling well!
Not that you need to have the sniffles, or be feeling under the weather to enjoy this fantastic soup!! Chicken pastina soup is certainly delicious at any time, and for any reason!
Pastina Soup is an Italian classic comfort food, pronounced 'pas-teen'. Fun fact, if you loved watching Sopranos, you've heard the soup mentioned! Pastina pasta is even featured in baby food to this day (the Gerber pasta stars entrees)!
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🥘 Ingredients
All of the ingredients for the Italian chicken pastina soup should be easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Olive Oil - Go for extra virgin olive oil.
- Yellow Onion - White onion can be substituted.
- Garlic - Helps add that classic Italian flavor.
- Celery - A base for most soups, adds minerals and celery salt.
- Carrots - Adds sweetness, color and another nutritious element.
- Tomatoes - Canned tomatoes or fresh diced Roma tomatoes
- Salt & Pepper - To taste, sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Chicken Bone Broth - Store bought or homemade.
- Orzo Pasta - Or see my varieties of small pasta to use.
- Chicken Breast -Cooked skinless chicken breast diced, or even leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Parmesan Cheese - For some extra zing and garnish.
It's one of those versatile soups that you can add more vegetables, omit the chicken, whatever sounds good when you're making it. I love adding fresh herbs, depending on what I have on hand. My favorite herbs for complimenting chicken are rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
Small Pasta Varieties for Pastina Soup
There's quite a number of fine pastas to use for this soup, and I have included a large variety here: pastina (of course!), acini di pepe, orzo (used here), estrellas (stars), ditalina rigati and ditaloni rigati, stelline (stars), filini, farfalline, gramigna, gobbetti, lancette, corallini, anellini, grattini and grattoni, sorprese, treccine, quadretti, ricciutelli, risi, risoni, midoline, puntine, and tempestine.
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
Pasta cooked in the soup will continue to expand once leftovers are refrigerated. To avoid this, either cook your pasta separately and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process before adding to the soup. Or portion pasta directly into bowls when serving, and keep pasta stored separate from the chicken soup.
The amount of water in the stock pot will reduce as steam escapes during cooking, be sure to add enough water that you will have enough for making your soup. Strain broth into a clean pot or a large enough bowl to hold the liquid.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
Broth for Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
While I whole-heartedly endorse homemade chicken broth for the soup, if you are going to use store bought broth, select the best quality broth that you can find. If I am using store bought broth, I use whatever bone broth is available as it will enhance the nutritional value of this tasty soup.
- To make homemade chicken stock, remove as much meat off of a cooked chicken carcass as possible. Place the carcass, rough cut vegetables (onion, carrots, celery), and a bay leaf or two into a stock pot and cover with water.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours or more. The longer the carcass is cooked, the more concentrated flavor the broth will have.
How To Make Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated, it will begin to shimmer.
- Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion begins to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the chopped carrots and celery. I usually include the chopped greens from the celery, they add fantastic flavor to your soup!
- Cook the added vegetables for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the broth and diced chicken breast meat.
- Bring the broth to a low boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add the uncooked pasta and cook per the package directions.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
The soup should be stored into the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a air tight container, or frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat, simply microwave or reheat in a saucepan on the stove. See my recipe notes if you plan on having leftovers to avoid "mushy" pasta.
📋 Recipe
Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 large yellow onion (minced)
- ½ tablespoon garlic (finely minced)
- 6 stalks celery (rough cut)
- 4 large carrots (rough cut)
- 1 can tomatoes (12-16 oz)
- 1 each teaspoon salt & pepper (add more, to taste)
- 12 cups chicken bone broth (most carton containers are 32 oz = 4 cups, or follow directions below for homemade broth)
- 2 cups uncooked orzo (any small pasta will do)
- 3 cups chicken breast (cooked, diced)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Instructions
Homemade Chicken Stock
- Remove as much meat off of a cooked chicken carcass as possible. Place the carcass, rough cut vegetables ( onion, carrots, celery ), and a bay leaf or two into a stock pot and cover with water.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours or more. The longer the carcass is cooked, the more concentrated flavor the broth will have.
- The amount of water in the stock pot will reduce as steam escapes during cooking, be sure to add enough water that you will have enough for making your soup next. Strain broth into a clean pot or a large enough bowl to hold the liquid.
Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated, it will begin to shimmer.
- Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion begins to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the chopped carrots and celery. I usually include the chopped greens from the celery, they add fantastic flavor to your soup!
- Cook the added vegetables for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the broth and diced chicken breast meat.
- Bring the broth to a low boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add the uncooked pasta and cook per the package directions.
Notes
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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