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    Home » Recipes » Soup

    Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe

    by Mindy Boyd · Published: Jan 29, 2025 · Updated: Jan 29, 2025

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    ⏲️ 45 minutes mins
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    You’re going to want to make this Chicken Pastina Soup recipe on repeat. It’s the ultimate comfort food, especially during the colder months. This comforting soup, sometimes called Italian penicillin, is loaded with tender chicken, small pasta shapes, and fresh herbs in a flavorful broth. 

    Mindy’s Recipe Snapshot

    Method: This is made in one pot on the stove-top.

    Key Ingredients:  Rotisserie chicken, acini di pepe, onion, celery, carrots, herbs, and chicken broth. 

    Ease: Such an easy chicken soup recipe, and ready in about 45 minutes!

    Top Tip: Add the chicken at the end so you will have bite-sized chunks.

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    Two bowls of soup, a wedge of parmesan cheese and two spoons.
    Jump to:
    • Mindy’s Recipe Snapshot
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredient Notes
    • What Does Pastina Look Like?
    • How to Make Pastina Soup
    • Tips
    • Substitutions and Additions
    • How to Store Leftover Soup
    • How to Freeze Pastina Soup
    • Reheating Instructions
    • Frequenlty Asked Questions
    • Try these comforting recipes next!
    • Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
    Close up overhead view of one bowl of chicken pastina soup.

    This delicious chicken pastina soup is made with basic ingredients and comes together in no time. Grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for a super quick and easy option, or use pre-cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts or leftover chicken instead.

    This recipe makes a fairly large batch so it’s perfect for a crowd. It’s also great to make it and save some of the leftovers for another dinner. 

    Ingredients

    See recipe card for exact amounts. 

    All of the ingredients to make the measured out to make the Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Chicken: Pre-cooked chicken works well in this recipe to make it quick and easy. 
    • Pasta: Any tiny pasta shape works, see below to see what pastina shapes there are. If you can’t find pastina virtually any pasta will work, but you may need to cook it longer. 
    • Vegetables: We use soffritto, a classic base in Italian cooking made with chopped onion, celery, and carrots, along with garlic for added flavor. These are gently sautéed in olive oil or butter and serve as the flavorful foundation for many soups, stews, and sauces.
    • Broth: To keep this recipe easy I use store-bought low sodium chicken broth. 
    • Herbs: Fresh thyme and a bay leaf add extra flavor to our soup.
    • Olive Oil: I use regular olive oil, extra virgin works too.
    • Parmesan Cheese: Top individual servings with freshly grated parmesan. 
    Very close up shot of a bowl of chicken pastina soup with a few crackers next to it.

    What Does Pastina Look Like?

    Pastina means “little pasta”. There are several different small pasta shapes.

    • Acini di Pepe – means “grains of pepper”. They are small round shapes. 
    • Stelline – or little stars. 
    • Fregola Sarda – small round pasta that are bigger than acini di pepe. 
    • Israeli Couscous – small round pasta that are quite a bit bigger than acini di pepe. 
    • Orzo – these are shaped more like rice.

    There is a great article over at bon appétit that explains 6 types of pastina. 

    How to Make Pastina Soup

    1. Dice the onion, celery and carrots. Chop the garlic. 
    2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
    3. ​Add the broth, salt, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
    4. Add pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes. The cook time may need adjusted to suit the type of pasta you are using. 
    5. Stir in the shredded chicken and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.
    6. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Ladle into soup bowls and top with grated cheese.

    Tips

    • This may seem like a lot of broth when you first make it. The pasta will soak some of it up and that’s why we start out with plenty. We didn’t have any trouble having enough broth to reheat our soup on the stove top. You can add more when reheating if you need to. If you plan on eating all of this, and not having any leftovers, you can probably cut the broth down a cup or two.
    • To keep the chicken in chunks add the chicken at the end and heat until warm. If you want it completely shredded then you can add it earlier. 
    A collage of four images showing the veggies before and after being cooked, and with the broth added before and after cooking for a while.

    Substitutions and Additions

    • If you don’t like onion, celery or carrots just leave it out. 
    • This can be made with leftover turkey and homemade turkey broth. 
    • Peas, green beans, zucchini, spinach, broccoli or leeks are all great choices for adding more vegetables. You may need to add more broth, or water, if you add a lot of veggies. 
    • If you have a parmesan rind you can at it in when you add the broth and let it cook. Just remember to take it out before serving. 
    • A splash of fresh lemon juice is a nice addition. It can be added to the whole pot, or individual servings. 
    • Add some black pepper for a little more flavor. 

    How to Store Leftover Soup

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

    How to Freeze Pastina Soup

    Freeze for up to 3 months. 

    • Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring it to freezer-safe containers.
    • Freeze in individual or meal-sized portions for easy reheating.
    • Liquids expand when frozen, so leave some space at the top of your containers.

    Reheating Instructions

    • Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight or defrost it in the microwave.
    • Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
    A large white ceramic soup pot with the entire batch of chicken pastina soup.

    Frequenlty Asked Questions

    What can I use if I can’t find pastina pasta?

    The only pastina I can find is acini di pepe. I wish I could find star pasta, but none of my neighborhood grocery stores have it. A great thing about this recipe is that any pasta will work. You will just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. 

    ​Can I make this soup vegetarian?

    Yes! Replace the chicken with white beans, tofu, chickpeas, or lentils to add protein. Swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth. 

    ​Can I make this soup gluten-free? 

    Absolutely! Use a gluten-free pasta. It may be necessary to add more broth or water since gluten free pasta tends to soak up more.



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    Did you love this recipe?

    We would love it if you’d leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!

    Feature image of a bowl of Chicken Pastina Soup with a spoon next to it.

    Italian Chicken Pastina Soup

    Mindy Boyd
    You're going to want to make this Chicken Pastina Soup recipe on repeat. It's the ultimate comfort food, especially during the colder months. This comforting soup, sometimes called Italian penicillin, is loaded with tender chicken, small pasta shapes, and fresh herbs in a flavorful broth. 
    No ratings yet
    Print – Email Required Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 10 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 cup onion half large
    • 1 cup celery about 3 stalks
    • 1 1/4 cup carrots about 5 medium
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 10 cups chicken broth
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 cup pastina
    • 3 cups cooked chicken
    • parmesan cheese
    Get Recipe Ingredients

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    Instructions
     

    • Dice onion, celery and carrots. Chop garlic. 
    • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
      1 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup onion, 1 cup celery, 1 1/4 cup carrots, 3 cloves garlic
    • Add broth, salt, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes.
      10 cups chicken broth, 1/4 tsp salt, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 cup pastina
    • Stir in shredded chicken and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.
      3 cups cooked chicken
    • Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
      parmesan cheese

    Notes

    The cook time of the pasta may need adjusted based on the type you are using. 
    Did you make this recipe? We would love it if you would leave us a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
    Nutritional information is approximate. 
    See tips, notes, and suggestions in the post above. 

    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1/10th | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 981mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2760IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment below.
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