This chicken pastina soup is a soul-warming, homemade soup that's as delicious as any traditional chicken noodle soup! The fine pasta combines perfectly with rich broth, tender chicken, and vegetables! It's the perfect dish to make when you are craving Italian flavors or a hearty meal!
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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
This is one of those versatile soups where you can add more vegetables, omit the chicken, or 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.
Pasta cooked in the soup will continue to expand once leftovers are refrigerated. To avoid this, either cook your pasta separately and rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process before adding it to the soup.
You can also portion pasta directly into bowls when serving and keep pasta stored separately 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 to make your soup.
While I wholeheartedly endorse homemadechicken 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.