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Chicken Pastina Soup

A comforting bowl of warm broth, tender shredded chicken, and tiny pastina that cooks in minutes, perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie)
  • 1 cup pastina (uncooked)
  • 1.5 cups celery (chopped)
  • 1.5 cups carrots (chopped)
  • 1.5 cups onions (chopped)
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or regular)
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon shallot (chopped)
  • 0.25 cup Locatelli Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 0.5 teaspoon table salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
  • Italian parsley (for garnish)

Method
 

Preparation
  1. If using cold, cooked, or leftover chicken, remove it from the refrigerator before beginning the recipe.
  2. Add butter to a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat.
  3. Add the celery, carrots, and onions to the melted butter and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.
  4. Add the garlic cloves and shallots to the pot and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
  5. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer all the vegetables to a blender or the bowl of a food processor.
  6. Pulse the ingredients until a puree forms, adding a ΒΌ cup of chicken broth if needed for a smooth texture. Set aside until needed.
Cooking
  1. Add the chicken broth to the Dutch oven, scraping any brown bits off the bottom.
  2. Add the thyme and bay leaves to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove the bay leaves and thyme from the broth.
  4. Add the vegetable puree to the broth and stir to combine.
  5. Bring the broth to a light boil.
  6. Add the pastina to the broth and cook for 3 minutes.
  7. Add the shredded chicken and stir to combine.
  8. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the soup is hot, then re-season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  9. Add half of the Locatelli Romano cheese to the soup and stir together, reserving the remainder for sprinkling.
Serving
  1. Serve hot in shallow bowls with reserved Romano and chopped parsley on top, paired with crusty bread.

Notes

For a lighter version, use low-sodium broth and omit the butter. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently and add fresh pastina if originally softened.