We love this delicious Italian chicken pastina soup recipe because it’s so easy to prepare and uses our favorite tiny pasta noodles. Fresh and healthy homemade soups are not only nutritious but are a great way to save money on your food budget when you cook and freeze soups to use later in the month.
Easy Recipe for Chicken Pastina Soup – Simple Italian Chicken Soup
You will double-love this easy Italian Chicken Pastina Soup recipe made with delicious chicken broth and tiny noodles. A great soup that is perfect for a chilly day if you are in need of a little food comfort. This soup also makes an easy dinner when paired with a delicious grilled cheese or healthy tossed salad.
We love making homemade soups and you can always save a ton of money by making your own favorite soups at home. Most homemade soups are pretty simple once you get the basics of soup making down.
Finely chopped onions, garlic and carrots are cooked in olive oil with layers of salt and pepper to give the soup just the right amount seasoning.
In this soup we lightly cook boneless chicken thighs with the onions and carrots before adding the broth to the pan. We also cook this soup in our awesome
Hint – Always have extra broth and some chicken soup base on hand. When cooking pasta in soups, the pasta will absorb much of the liquid quickly. Adding more broth will help the soup to not become too thick.
Chicken Pastina Soup Ingredients:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Acini de pepe
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Carrots
- Chicken Broth
- Thyme
An easy soup recipe that is perfect for a family dinner5
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- 8-10 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 cup Acini de pepe, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
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Using a Dutch Oven or soup pan, brown onions in olive oil for about 2-minutes, lightly salt & pepper.
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Add garlic and carrots to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, again, lightly salt & pepper.
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Push onions and vegetables to the side of the pan and add the chicken, lightly salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side.
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Add about 7 cups of the chicken broth to the pan, bring to a light boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
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Remove chicken from the pan to a cutting board.
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Increase the heat a little and add the Acini de pepe to the soup pan. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, stirring often.
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While the pasta is cooking, shred or cut the chicken thighs into very small pieces and add back to the pan.
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Cook for about 5 additional minutes. Check to see if you need any soup base or more chicken broth.
Onions, garlic, carrots and chicken are cooked for a short time before adding the broth. You can also add a little bit of chopped celery to your mirepoix.
Typical Chicken Pastina Soup Ingredients –
Chicken Broth – Always start with your favorite broth because that is the base of many of your homemade soups. We believe the key to any good soup recipe is the quality of the broth in flavor, salt and ingredients.
Store-bought or Homemade? Try different broth types to find your favorite or make your own broth. Chicken broth is easy to make at home by simmering chicken pieces in water with a little celery, carrots, garlic and fresh herbs.
Fresh Vegetables – Our most used vegetables in chicken soups are carrots, celery, onions and garlic. This is the start of most soups and is called the mirepoix. Your base for the soup which contains these vegetables diced fine and then cooked in butter or oil or a combination of both.
We love to use green leafy vegetables in our chicken soup like fresh chopped spinach, kale or chopped collard greens. If you don’t have fresh, substituting frozen is just fine.
Fresh or Dried Herbs – Our favorite herbs for chicken soups are parsley, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. You can use either fresh or dried herbs in most soup recipes.
Noodles – You can use any type noodles for this pastina soup as long as they are tiny. We use Acini de pepe which is a tiny round noodle, which is commonly found in most Wedding Soups.
- Why Make Homemade Soup – Homemade soups are a great way to go a little easy on the family budget. Extra soup is simple to freeze and use again at a later date, saving even more money on your monthly food budget. Homemade soups are much healthier than canned soups because you control the ingredients and also the salt. If possible, buy ingredients for your homemade soups that are organic and free of chemicals or additives.
What is Pastina?
Pastina is a type of Italian pasta that is very small in size, typically less than 1/4 inch in diameter. It is commonly used in soups and broths, and is often served to young children or those who are feeling unwell because of its easy-to-digest and comforting qualities. Pastina is typically made from wheat flour, and can come in a variety of shapes, including stars, alphabets, and tiny tubes. It is a popular ingredient in Italian cuisine and can be found in many supermarkets and specialty food stores.
Why We Love to Use Chicken Thighs in Our Soup Recipes
Chicken thighs are some of the tastiest parts of the chicken to use in soups and many recipes. We also love to cook with chicken thighs because they are very economical.
Can I add Lemon to This Chicken Soup?
Yes! Lemon makes a wonderful addition to most chicken soups. And this chicken soup with pastina is no exception. Just squeeze in some fresh lemon juice as the soup is cooking.
- You can also add mini meatballs to this soup or cut meatballs in half. Definitely a great addition to this Italian soup!
What to Serve with this Chicken Soup Recipe:
Saltine Crackers
Dinner Rolls
Tossed Salad
Hamburger Sliders
Chicken Salad Sliders
Ham Sandwich
How To Freeze Soup –
Place in a large freezer bag and make sure to remove as much air as possible. Lay bag flat in the freezer to save room. Freeze this chicken soup for up to 4 months.
How to Serve Leftover Soup:
Reheat leftover chicken pastina soup on the stove if it’s become thick. Add extra chicken broth as needed. Soup can easily be reheated in the microwave as well. Start with about 30 seconds to reheat.
You will also love our other awesome soup recipes –
Hamburger and Macaroni Soup
Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
Cabbage Roll Soup
Black Bean and Rice Soup
Chicken Fideo Soup
