Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe
This chicken pastina soup recipe is a cozy, comforting, and delicious Italian soup with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, parmesan cheese, and small pasta. Easy to make, and a tasty soup the whole family will love.
This classic soup is ready in under 30 minutes, and makes a fantastic lunch or light dinner. Serve with a thick slice of crusty Italian bread and a hearty chopped salad for a complete meal.
When you want a simple and comforting chicken noodle soup, look no further than this delicious pastina soup with chicken! It’s easy to make, absolutely delicious, and loaded with hearty white meat chicken breast and fresh vegetables for a tasty meal.
Ready in just 30 minutes, this is a great soup to cook for the whole family – kids will love the small pasta shapes.
Make a big pot on the weekend, and enjoy throughout the week for lunches or a light meal. This is a comforting soup for winter, it’s known as Italian penicillin. Each bite has tender mini pasta balls, a savory broth, carrots and celery, and perfectly cooked chicken. It’s a family favorite!
This Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe Is
- Cozy
- Simple
- Made with Whole Ingredients
- Hearty
- Flavorful
- A Great Lunch or Dinner
Ingredients for this Simple Pastina Chicken Soup
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and amounts!
- Chicken – I used white meat chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, but you can used any cooked skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Veggies – I used carrots, celery, and onion for my recipe, but you can use omit any if you don’t have them on hand or are making this for picky eaters.
- Chicken stock or chicken broth – I love using a flavorful stock as the base of this soup. You can use homemade chicken broth or even bone broth too.
- Pastina pasta, also called acini di pepe. Or use any tiny pasta shape (rings, little stars, or alphabet pasta) you can find!
- Parmesan Cheese – gives that extra bit of flavor and richness to this dish. Whether you use a sharp real cheese parmesan, or a plant-based version, adding a little extra into the sauce (and for garnish) makes this dish delish.
- Fresh herbs to top – I added a bit of fresh parsley as a garnish, but you can add fresh basil or even fresh thyme leaves.
- Sea salt & black pepper
Optional Add-Ins
- You can top the soup with some fresh lemon juice for extra flavor.
- If you have leftover parmesan rinds, add it in while cooking the pasta in step 2 below.
- You can substitute vegetable broth or even beef broth instead of chicken broth if desired.
- Add red chili flakes for a spicier version!
Homemade Soup Recipes You’ll Love
I absolutely love making big batches of homemade soups with fresh simple ingredients. Soups make the best meals during the colder months, they are like a warm hug! With rich broth, cooked pasta, and fresh veggies – you can have a tasty soup made with basic ingredients.
This easy pastina recipe makes the perfect meal! It’s great on a cold day, this Italian chicken pastina soup is the ultimate comforting dish. Like any good soup it has large chunks of chicken, pastina noodles, flavorful broth, and is topped with our favorite herbs.
A fantastic easy soup recipe for the family! Browse all our tasty soup recipes to find your next favorite.
How To Make Pastina Soup with Chicken
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pastina, and add the cooked chicken (see note below for using raw chicken). Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Taste, adding salt or pepper if desired.
- Serve hot and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired. Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
A Note on Using Chicken for this soup
I used white meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken for this recipe. You can use cooked white or dark meat like chicken thighs if desired.
If using raw chicken, first brown the chicken in a teaspoon of olive oil until it is brown on all sides. Then add it into the soup during step 2, but cook the soup for 40 minutes, not 15, so the chicken cooks completely through.
More Cozy Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Swiss Chard Soup with Sausage and Beans
Creamy Tomato Soup with Gnocchi
Creamy Mushroom Brown Rice Soup
Carrot Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
Chicken and Rice Soup In the Instant Pot
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Chicken Pastina Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Soup Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3 carrots chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 10 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup pastina pasta also called acini di pepe
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped, I used rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- Sea salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pastina, and add the cooked chicken (see note below for using raw chicken). Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Taste, adding salt or pepper if desired.
- Serve hot into soup bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired. Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Easy soup to put together yet it went fast. Everyone loved it