Pastina Soup
With a flavorful broth and perfectly cooked pasta, this Italian Pastina soup recipe delivers a comforting, nourishing soup that is easy on the stomach and simple to make.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 small Parmesan rind
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup pastina pasta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese + more for serving
- black pepper to taste
- 1 small lemon juiced
- extra virgin olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, parmesan rind, 1 dried bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 8 cups chicken stock to a large heavy-bottomed stock pan with a lid. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are tender, remove the lid and use a spider spoon or tongs to remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf and discard. Use the spider spoon to scoop out the cooked vegetables and transfer to a blender. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid. With the lid on the blender slightly cracked open to allow steam to escape, blend the mixture until completely smooth. Once smooth, transfer back to the pan.
- Bring the broth back to a boil. Once boiling, stir in 1 cup pastina pasta and cook for 3 minutes (or according to package directions), until just tender.
- Remove the soup from the heat. Add in the juice of one lemon and taste to add salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
Vegetarian: Swap chicken stock for vegetable broth.
Lower the Sodium: Use low-sodium or salt-free broth/stock and omit the added kosher salt.
No pastina? Acini di pepe, small stars, or orzo can be substituted.
Storage:Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings, adding a splash of broth or water if needed, in a heat-safe bowl covered with a damp paper towel in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
Make-ahead tip: If prepping in advance, cook the pasta separately and add it when reheating to prevent it from soaking up too much broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4094IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg
