There’s been at the least one individual 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 youngsters and I’ve even developed a chant we sing again 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, properly, 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 basic, this model requires broth, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, plus recent and dried herbs, and pasta. Not like typical rooster soup although, the greens are boiled then blended into the broth which provides the soup just a little physique.

Pastina Soup additionally goes by the title “Italian Penicillin” as a result of it’s the BEST while you’ve acquired a head chilly or the flu and wish 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 forms 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 components” class, which means it requires on a regular basis components 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 rooster inventory as the bottom of this soup, in any other case Kirkland (Costco) model rooster inventory is my store-bought go-to. If you happen to’re actually below the climate, bone broth is incredible for pumping up the diet and protein within the soup.
• Mirepoix: carrots, celery, and shallot or onion present plenty of taste and diet.
• Garlic: I’m a garlic lover and have examined this recipe with a head of garlic, all the best way right down to 2 cloves, and like the delicate 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 case 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, this can be 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 straightforward, good as written, and largely palms off. That mentioned, be at liberty to decorate it up a bit, if you want!

• Add protein: pump up the protein by including diced or shredded rooster. Leftover rotisserie, baked, or Air Fried rooster work completely.
• Add warmth: a pinch or extra of purple chili pepper flakes is particularly welcome when you could 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 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 simply don’t should take the time to finely chop or slice the veggies on this recipe which may really feel like lots of effort, particularly while you’re sick.

Step 2: Boil the greens in broth.

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

Place a lid on high then flip the warmth to excessive to convey the liquid to a boil. As soon as boiling, flip the warmth right 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 turn out to be too thick. Be at liberty so as to add kind of to get your broth to your required consistency.

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 needed.

That’s it! Place a lid on high of the pot to maintain it heat whilst you prepare dinner the pastina.

Step 5: Prepare dinner the pastina.

Boil the pastina in a pot of salted, boiling water in accordance 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 high 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 proper of completion.

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

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

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Images by Ashley McLaughlin

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