Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts. 

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. 

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. 

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.
  

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