It’s soup season, let’s do this. This Chicken Pastina Soup recipe is a delicious twist on traditional chicken noodle soup. The pasta in this soup is called pastina, which means “little pasta”. It looks like tiny little stars, and when combined with a rich chicken broth simmered with parmesan rind, it’s like Italian comfort food in a bowl. This soup has become a family favorite.
Although the pastina is the star ingredient (literally) in this delicious soup, other ingredients include fresh herbs, parmesan cheese rind, and lemon juice. The parmesan cheese rind is simmered in the liquid, creating a rich broth. My favorite herbs to use in this soup are fresh thyme and fresh parsley. Add in a few additional simple ingredients and voila – this pastina chicken soup warms the soul.
Let’s get to it.
Gather up these ingredients for your chicken pastina soup. To make life easy, use Instacart to shop the ingredients, because let’s get real – life is too busy and time is far too precious to spend hours at the grocery store.
Tools Needed
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Sauté pan
- Dutch oven or soup stock pot
Ingredients for Chicken Pastina Soup
- 2 lbs chicken tenders, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or shredded chicken from a cooked rotisserie chicken
- 64 oz low sodium chicken stock or broth ( I like organic full circle)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (3 medium carrots)
- 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 3/4 cup pastina pasta (cutesy little tiny pasta stars)
- parmesan rind
- Juice from one large lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbsps. olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used fine sea salt, but any salt will do)
- freshly ground black pepper
- several fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- parmesan cheese for serving
- lemon zest for serving
optional: mustard greens or swiss chard to add some greens for extra veggies and nutrients
For cooking the chicken:
- 1 teaspoon each of – garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme and kosher salt with a several turns of freshly ground pepper
If using chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut the raw chicken into 1-inch chunks. Season with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, kosher salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a saute pan and cook the chicken until cooked through, approximately 8 minutes. Set the chicken aside until you need to add it to the soup.
Directions for this Comforting Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe
- In a dutch oven or large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, 1 tsp dry thyme, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and give the fresh cracked pepper a few good twists. Saute the onions and carrots for approximately 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent and carrots are slightly softened. Stir often using a wooden spoon.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Pour in both cartons of broth.
- Add the parmesan rind and bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 7 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces from either the cooked tenders or thighs (along with the juice of chicken from resting) or the shredded rotisserie chicken if using this instead. The preferred method is the cooked tenders or thighs because of the flavor it contributes to the soup, but if you’re in a hurry and needing a quick weeknight meal, then the shredded, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken will do.
- Optional: If using mustard greens or swiss chard, add your greens into the soup when adding the chicken. It will need to cook for approximately 7-8 minutes total. Let the greens cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the pastina.
- Add the fresh thyme (about 5-6 springs, thyme removed from sprig) and the pastina (those adorable little pasta stars), and let cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente.
- Remove the soup pot from the burner, remove the parmesan rind, and add the fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice.
- Once ladled into your cozy soup bowls, garnish with a little more fresh parsley and fresh lemon zest.
Tips for this Recipe
This twist on traditional chicken noodle soup primarily involves the type of pasta used. Since the pastina is such a dainty little thing, you certainly don’t want to overcook it and end up with mushy chicken pastina soup – just no.
- If you have the time, season and cook the chicken tenders as described. It adds so much flavor to the soup over rotisserie chicken. Chicken tenders are quicker to cut up than chicken breasts, so tenders are the way to go.
- Using the juice from the full lemon does add quite a lemony zip to the soup. If you like less lemon, I suggest you only juice half a lemon.
- I recommend using fresh herbs whenever possible, there’s simply no comparison to dry herbs.
- Only cook the pastina for the 5-6 minutes as recommended. Remove the pot from the heat and serve immediately.
- You can store leftovers in a glass container with a lid. This recipe makes a great lunch when reheated within a few days.
What to Serve with Chicken Pastina Soup
Serve some crusty Italian bread with this comforting soup and you have the perfect meal for those colder months. Add a green salad for some extra veggies and a glass of Pinot Grigio, your family around the table, some good conversation and laughs, and you’ve created a memory, not just a meal.
There you have it – an easy dinner for a cold day – a delicious homemade Italian chicken pastina soup. Your family will thank you.
Love your people, cook them healthy food.
If you make this Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe, please leave a rating and comment below. Share a photo and tag @liveeachdayblog on Instagram!
The Best Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch oven OR
- Stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders OR boneless skinless chicken breasts, OR shredded chicken from a cooked rotisserie chicken
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper a few good twists
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided -1 for sautéeing the chicken, 1 for sautéeing the veggies
- 1 cup chopped carrots about 3 medium carrots
- 1/2 cup diced onion about 1/2 medium onion
- 1 tsp dry thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt, but any salt will do
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 64 oz low sodium chicken stock or broth I like organic Full Circle
- 3/4 cup pastina pasta adorable tiny pasta stars
- 1 parmesan rind
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large lemon juiced
- several fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- parmesan cheese for serving
- lemon zest for serving
- swiss chard or mustard greens optional
Instructions
For cooking the chicken:
- If using chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut the raw chicken into 1-inch chunks.2 lbs chicken tenders
- Mix together 1 teaspoon each of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, kosher salt and pepper and sprinkle over the cut chicken.1 tsp garlic powder
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a sauté pan and cook the chicken until cooked through, approximately 8 minutes.
- Set the chicken aside until you need to add it to the soup.
For the soup:
- In a dutch oven or large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, 1 tsp dry thyme, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and give the fresh cracked pepper a few good twists. Sauté the onions and carrots for approximately 4 minutes until onions are translucent and carrots are only slightly softened. Stir often using a wooden spoon.1 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1 tsp dry thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.2 cloves of garlic
- Pour in both cartons of broth.64 oz low sodium chicken stock or broth
- Add the parmesan rind and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 7 minutes.1 parmesan rind
- Add the cooked chicken pieces from either the cooked tenders or breasts (along with the juice of chicken from resting) OR the shredded rotisserie chicken if using that instead. The preferred method is the cooked tenders or breasts because of the flavor it contributes to the soup, but if you're in a hurry and needing a quick weeknight meal, then the shredded, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken will do.
- Optional: If using swiss chard or mustard greens, add your greens into the soup when adding the chicken. It will need to cook for approximately 7-8 minutes total. Let the greens cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the pastina.swiss chard or mustard greens
- Add the fresh thyme (about 5-6 springs, thyme removed from sprig) and the pastina (those adorable little pasta stars), and let cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente.several fresh thyme sprigs, 3/4 cup pastina pasta
- Remove the pot from the burner, remove the parmesan rind, and add the fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice.1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1 large lemon
- Once ladled into your cozy soup bowls, garnish with a little more fresh parsley, fresh lemon zest and shredded parmesan cheese.parmesan cheese for serving, lemon zest for serving
Notes
To stock your freezer with organic, free range chicken and other ethically raised and sourced meat and seafood, check out my Real Food Resource recommendations here.
