This easy and delicious Chicken Pastina Soup is the perfect dish for whenever you feel under the weather or just need a bowl of warm comfort. Also known as Brodo di Pollo con Pastina, this simple Italian soup uses small pasta shapes and just a handful of other ingredients.
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Chicken Pastina Soup is the answer to what’s for lunch or dinner whenever you feel down, under the weather or simply need a warm hug in a bowl.
This simple soup uses just a handful of ingredients and I always make a big pot the day after we have roast chicken as a way to use any leftovers.
What is Pastina?
Pastina is Italian for “small pasta” and also the name of the soup which uses pastine (the plural of pastina). There are lots of small pasta shapes you can use in this pastina soup recipe. My favorite is stelline (little stars) which is what I have used here.
Other shapes are orzo, acini di pepe, ditalini, alphabetti, tiny macaroni or little shells. Pastina (or sometimes pastini) is not ONE pasta shape, although it has sometimes been marketed as such in the US.
Pastina soup is true comfort food. Chicken pastina soup is, rightly, called “Italian penicillin” for its ability to make you feel instantly better whether you are battling a cold or simply feeling blue.
It is also the first soup that I served to my kids as toddlers – kids love the small pasta shapes which can sometimes be found in the baby food aisle.
Grocery List
Pastina soup uses few ingredients and you can definitely add more vegetables if you like to make it heartier. Here’s what you will need:
- Butter or olive oil
- Onions, celery and carrots
- Chicken stock / chicken broth – ideally homemade chicken stock but low sodium chicken broth or a stockpot will also work
- Pastina– preferably stelline but any small shape will work, including spaghetti, broken up
- Cooked shredded chicken breasts or you can poach fresh chicken in the broth
- Parmesan cheese and parsley to serve
- Salt and pepper
Making your own Chicken Stock
If you have a chicken carcass put it to use and make chicken stock instead of wasting it. Just put in a large pot or the slow cooker together with water to cover, bay leaves, onion, celery and carrots plus a teaspoon of black peppercorns, and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Simmer for two hours (8 hours on low in a slow cooker) then strain. Reserve any chicken meat to use in the soup and use the stock immediately or store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the stock for up to three months.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PASTINA SOUP
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Heat the butter in a large pot. Once it is foaming add the onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a rolling boil then lower the heat to a simmer.
Stir in the pastine and shredded chicken and cook for however long the pasta cooking time recommendation is (usually 8-10 minutes).
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley plus a slice of homemade bread. Absolutely delicious!!
Chicken Pastina Soup Tips and FAQs
- If you are serving babies then leave out the salt and make sure to use a low sodium broth.
- The soup can be stored for up to three days in the fridge. If possible strain the soup and store the pasta separately from the broth otherwise it will absorb a lot of the broth. If that happens simply stir some hot water when you reheat the soup.
- Freezing the soup is not recommended but as it is so quick and easy to make I don’t feel too bad about that!
- If you don’t have any leftover roast chicken (shredded Rotisserie Chicken will work also) to hand then add 6 chicken tenders to the soup at the same time as the broth and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Slice or shred and add back to the soup.
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Chicken Pastina Soup
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 tsp butter or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion , finely diced
- 3 medium celery stalks , finely diced
- 2 large carrots , peeled and finely diced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 9 cups (approx. 2 liters) chicken broth / stock , see notes
- 1 ½ cups pastina , I used stelline
- 2 cups (300g) shredded cooked chicken , see notes
To serve
- grated Parmesan cheese
- Flat leaf parsley , finely diced
- Salt and pepper , to season
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot. Once it is foaming add the onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a rolling boil then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Stir in the pastine and shredded chicken and cook for however long the pasta cooking time recommendation is (usually 8-10 minutes).
- Discard the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley plus a slice of homemade bread. Absolutely delicious!!
Video
Notes
- If you are serving babies then leave out the salt and make sure to use a low sodium broth.
- The soup can be stored for up to three days in the fridge. If possible strain the soup and store the pasta separately from the broth otherwise it will absorb a lot of the broth. If that happens simply stir some hot water when you reheat the soup.
- Freezing the soup is not recommended but as it is so quick and easy to make I don’t feel too bad about that!
- If you don’t have any leftover roast chicken (shredded Rotisserie Chicken will work also) to hand then add 6 chicken tenders to the soup at the same time as the broth and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Slice or shred and add back to the soup.
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