Description
Chicken Pastina Soup is ready in less than an hour and is the best Italian comfort food. Perfect for cold days or when you’re craving something cozy.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken breasts (boneless & skinless)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (divided use)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ medium yellow onion (or white, red)
- 3 medium celery stalks
- 2 large carrots
- 6 cups chicken stock (1 ½ quarts)
- 3 cups water
- ½ pound pastina (Acini di pepe or stelline)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
Instructions
1. Add olive oil to a soup pot over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom. Heat until sizzling.
2. Pat the chicken breasts dry and add to the pot. In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, half the pepper, and salt, then season the chicken.
3. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes until golden. Flip using tongs and add 1 cup chicken stock. Cover and simmer on medium for 7 minutes.
4. Chop the onion, dice the celery and carrots.
5. Remove chicken and let it cool in a bowl.
6. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add a bit of stock if liquid evaporates.
7. Shred the chicken using a stand mixer or two forks.
8. Add remaining chicken stock and water to the pot. Stir in remaining black pepper. Cover, bring to a boil.
9. Once boiling, add pastina. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Stir in shredded chicken and Parmesan. Simmer a few minutes to heat chicken through. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
11. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan on top. Store leftover pastina separately to prevent it from soaking up all the broth.
12. To reheat, combine pastina and broth in a bowl and microwave. Add chicken stock if you run out of broth. Freeze leftovers with pasta and broth in separate containers.
Notes
Pastina is a small pasta that absorbs liquid quickly, so it’s best to serve this soup right after cooking.
To avoid mushy pasta in leftovers, always store pastina separately from the broth.
If making ahead, store shredded chicken separately and cook the pastina just before serving.
Use Acini di pepe or stelline, but adjust the cook time depending on the variety.
This recipe yields 8 standard servings or 6 hearty portions.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 353
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 506mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 82mg