Chicken Pastina Soup

This cozy and comforting chicken pastina soup is a delightful twist on classic chicken noodle soup, featuring adorable star-shaped Stelline pasta. It's a dish that both kids and adults will enjoy, perfect for chilly days!

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Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Chicken Pastina Soup

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 263kcal

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter (or olive oil)
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
4 large carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh sage
2 tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock or water)
2 bay leaves
1 leftover parmesan rind (optional)
2 poached chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup stelline (star-shaped) pastina
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

Finely chop the onion, celery, and carrots, and mince the garlic.
Heat the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped veggies and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender and fragrant.
Stir in the thyme, sage, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using), and cook for another minute.
Add the vegetable stock, bay leaves, and parmesan rind (if using), and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently to prevent the parmesan rind from sticking to the pot.
Add the shredded chicken and stelline pasta, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 8-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately!

Notes

The pastina will absorb the broth as it sits, so if you're storing leftovers, I recommend separating the broth from the soup to prevent the pasta from becoming soggy. Simply combine again before reheating.
This soup freezes well! If freezing, wait to add the pastina until you're ready to eat. Portion out the soup and add cooked pasta to the portion you're consuming right away.

Nutrition

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