Chicken Pastina Soup
Chicken Pastina Soup is the best comfort food that’s ready in just 30 minutes. It’s loaded with tiny pasta, shredded chicken, and veggies in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love chicken noodle soup, you’re going to love this pastina soup recipe! It’s a quick and easy twist on the trending Italian penicillin soup.
What is more comforting than a big bowl of soup? I love this one because it’s filled with cute, little star-shaped pasta and has so much flavor. It reminds me of the canned chicken and stars soup I used to eat as a kid, but it tastes much better and doesn’t have any fillers or additives.
I make soup all year round, regardless of whether it’s below freezing outside or 80 degrees and humid. This one is perfect for any time of the year since it has easy-to-find ingredients and only takes 30 minutes to make.
Do you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or your family’s holiday meal? Use that instead of the chicken! Turkey soup is just as delicious.
Serve it with some saltine crackers and a chunk of fresh crusty sourdough. Round it out with a simple side salad for a complete meal.
If you love chicken soup, you’ll want to try this fan favorite, Creamy Orzo Chicken Soup. It’s a little heartier and perfect for cozy weather season.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil to sauté the veggies. You can substitute for butter or ghee if you prefer.
- Onion, Carrots, Celery, and Garlic: Yellow onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic combine for the perfect savory flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Use a good quality chicken broth for the best flavor. I love Pacific Foods, Kettle & Fire, and Bonafide Provisions. I prefer low sodium, so I can add the amount of salt I like. However, you can use a regular one too.
- Bay Leaf: A dried bay leaf will add extra flavor to your soup broth.
- Pastina Pasta: Use your favorite pastina pasta, which is a tiny pasta shape. Stelline (star pasta), acini di pepe, or orzo are all great options. They all have slightly different cook times, so adjust the timing accordingly.
- Shredded Chicken: Either homemade chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded into smaller pieces. Read more about how to make shredded chicken. Leftover turkey from the holidays also works well in this soup!
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
- Parmesan Cheese: Serve with a generous spoonful of freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional).
*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Pastina Soup
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent and veggies are starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, add the pastina pasta. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook according to the package directions, about 6-8 minutes, depending on your small pasta shape.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Stir in the shredded chicken. Season with more sea salt and pepper, as needed. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Expert Tip: When storing leftovers, strain the broth into a separate container from the rest of the soup and store it separately. The pasta will soak up the broth as it sits, so this will ensure it doesn’t get soggy.
Variations
- Include more veggies. Stir in your favorite veggies like peas, corn, or chopped green beans.
- Add some greens. Stir in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or kale.
- Give it a cheesy flavor. When adding the chicken broth, you can also toss in a parmesan rind. Remove and discard it before serving.
- Brighten it up. Add a squeeze of lemon juice for a brighter flavor.
- Top with fresh herbs. Chopped fresh parsley, thyme, and basil are all excellent options.
- Make it vegetarian. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and use drained, canned white beans in place of the shredded chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Whether you’re feeling sick or just want a warm and cozy meal, this soup is perfect to give you all those warm and comforting feelings.
Serve it by itself or with a side salad. It also pairs well with oyster crackers, saltine crackers, fresh crusty bread like sourdough or fresh bread, or even Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: If you want to make this soup ahead of time, you can cook the pasta separately and stir it into the soup when you want to serve it.
To Store: Strain the broth into a separate container from the rest of the soup and store it separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I love to use mason jars with reusable mason jar lids. If you store it all together, the pasta will absorb the broth and become soggy. If needed, add a couple of extra splashes of chicken broth when reheating.
To Freeze: To make it freezer-friendly, cook the pasta separately and store it in a separate airtight container in the freezer. The soup will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Pastina is a tiny pasta shape that’s typically used in soups. Common pastina shapes are stelline, acini di pepe, and orzo.
If you want to add more flavor to your chicken soup, add some dried thyme, rosemary, or sage. If you want to use fresh herbs, stir in some chopped parsley or thyme when the soup is just about finished cooking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice 2 chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make four thinner pieces. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly season with sea salt. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. Using two forks, shred the chicken.
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Chicken Pastina Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chicken Pastina Soup is the best comfort food that’s ready in just 30 minutes. It’s loaded with tiny pasta, shredded chicken, and veggies in every bite.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3/4 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup pastina pasta
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- freshly grated parmesan, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent and veggies are starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, add the pastina pasta. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook according to the package directions, about 6-8 minutes depending on your small pasta shape.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Stir in the shredded chicken. Season with more sea salt and pepper, as needed. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
If you want a thinner soup with less pasta, you can use half the amount of pastina.
When storing leftovers, strain the broth into a separate container from the rest of the soup and store it separately. The pasta will soak up the broth as it sits, so this will ensure it doesn’t get soggy. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Nutritional Values (per serving) are approximates only. Calculations do not include parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 238
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 453.9 mg
- Fat: 7.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.2 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 23.1 g
- Cholesterol: 44.2 mg
