Italian Penicillin Soup went crazy viral on social media last winter. If you haven’t tied it yet, you should.
It’s basically an Italian take on a chicken noodle soup. The biggest difference is that the veggies get blended and added back to the soup so it has a rich silky broth that’s a bit thicker than the American counterpart.
The noodles also get substituted for pastina which is just a tiny pasta shape. They come in a couple of different forms — often tiny stars.
The end result is a soup that has all the comfort of the American classic but a little thicker and more satisfying.
Great if you want something cozy and healing.
My version takes a couple of shortcuts to keep things easy plus we use bone broth as the base for the added health benefits.
Each bowl has 377 calories and 46 grams of protein.
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Why You’ll Love It
- One pot and 35 minutes. That’s all it takes to make this Italian Penicillin Soup so it really does live up to the “easy” claims.
- All the comfort of chicken noodle. Just like the American classic, this soup is perfect if you’re sick or just need something super comforting.
- 46 grams of protein per bowl. Chicken breast, bone broth, egg, and parmesan all add to the protein count here. This isn’t a soup that’s going to leave you feeling hungry an hour later.
- Freezer-friendly. Freeze the soup base without the pastina and you’ve got your next sick day covered. Simply reheat on the stove and cook the pasta in the reheated base.
If you’re looking for more high-protein soups, try my High-Protein Tomato Soup with Cottage Cheese next. Simple, veggie-filled, and packed with flavor.
Key Ingredients
This easy italian penicillin soup requires a couple of veggies and pantry staples, nothing complicated here.
- Chicken bone broth: Bone broth has tons of health benefits and makes a super flavorful base for this soup. You can also sub it for normal broth if that’s what you have.
- Chicken breast: I like to poach raw boneless skinless chicken breasts directly in the broth then shred and add back in. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken to save a step.
- Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic: A classic soup base. All they need is a rough chop because they get blended for a silky broth.
- Parmesan rind: If you’re not already saving your parmesan rinds in the freezer, here’s your sign. Throwing one in the soup as it simmers adds so much flavor and depth.
- Pastina: A tiny pasta shape that comes in a couple forms. Look for stelline, acini di pepe, or you can use orzo in a pinch.
- Eggs and parmesan: This is an optional step but I like to whisk both together then slowly stream into the broth for soft, silky ribbons.
If you liked this one, try my High-Protein Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Cottage Cheese Biscuits. It’s one of my favorite recipes on my site.
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How to Make It
This soup couldn’t be any easier to make. Just a couple of steps and you’ve got a comforting, soothing soup.
Soften the veggies & poach the chicken
Roughly chop your veggies and sauté in olive oil until softened. Add the bone broth, parmesan rind, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer until it’s cooked through. Remove the chicken and let cool before shredding.
Blend the broth
Remove the parm rind, thyme, and bay leaf. Then use an immersion blender to blend the broth and veggies until silky smooth.
Cook the pastina & make you egg ribbons
Bring your base to a simmer then add your pastina. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low then slowly pour in your egg and parmesan mixture while stirring to make your egg ribbons.
Finish & serve
Stir the chicken back in, add grated garlic if desired, and finish with salt to taste, lemon, parsley, and parmesan.
For another indulgent soup, try my Creamy High-Protein Lasagna Soup. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my site. And my sister’s personal favorite.
Swaps & Substitutions
This recipe is super flexible so feel free to get creative and use what you have.
Victoria’s Tips
Here are a couple of tips to make the best possible soup.
- Blend it in the pot. An immersion blender saves you the trouble of pouring boiling broth into your blender.
- Don’t boil the chicken. If you like super tender chicken, make sure that you’re keeping it at a low simmer while poaching. A rolling boil will lead to a rubbery tight chicken texture.
- Serve it right away. Pastina will keep drinking up the broth and get mushy quickly. If you’re planning to keep leftovers, portion off the extra broth before adding the pasta.
- Salt at the end. Different brands of bone broths have different sodium levels. Taste your soup towards the end and salt to your preference.
Storage & Meal Prep
Leftovers of this easy italian penicillin soup should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The pastina will continue to soak up the broth so it’s best to store the base before boiling the pasta.
Freeze the blended soup base with the shredded chicken for up to 3 months. Add the pasta and egg ribbons when reheating.
FAQ
It’s a nickname for pastina soup, an Italian classic. Pastina is a small pasta and is often cooked in chicken broth when someone is sick.
This soup is a go-to sick-day food for many Italians, the same way chicken noodle soup is in the US. There’s not actual medicine in it but the warm broth is soothing and easy to eat.
Definitely. Orzo takes a couple of extra minutes to cook but it works great here.
Most version take over an hour. This one is done in 35 minutes and in a single pot. There isn’t much chopping or faffing involved.
Easy Italian Penicillin Soup (Chicken Pastina Soup)
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Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 medium yellow onion (roughly chopped), 2 large carrots (peeled and roughly chopped), 2 celery ribs (roughly chopped), 4 garlic cloves (smashed and peeled) and a couple cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes until the onion starts to soften but not brown.
- Pour in 6 cups chicken bone broth and add 1 parmesan rind, 2 sprigs fresh thyme and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts into the broth so they're fully covered. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and the carrots are completely soft.
- Remove the chicken and set onto a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Fish the parmesan rind, thyme stems and bay leaf out of the pot and throw them away.
- Turn off the heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender for about 1 minute, until the vegetables are fully puréed and the broth becomes thicker, smooth and golden.
- Bring the soup back to a simmer over medium heat and stir in ½ cup pastina or orzo. Cook uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes or according to the package, until tender. Stir often so it doesn't stick to the bottom.Whisk 2 large eggs with 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan in a small bowl. Turn the heat down to low so the soup is barely bubbling. Pour the egg into the pot in a thin stream while slowly stirring in one direction. It sets into soft ribbons in about 30 seconds.Optional: Add 1-2 grated garlic cloves for a spicy garlicy flavor.
- Stir the shredded chicken back in and let it warm through for 1 minute. Taste and add salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with finely grated parmesan and finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.
Nutrition
Notes
- No blender? Grate the carrots, onion and celery on the large holes of a box grater and mince the garlic. The soup won’t be quite as silky, but it’s still great.
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut: skip the raw chicken and simmer the vegetables for 12 minutes, then blend. Stir in 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken at step 7. Use breast meat if you can.
- Pasta swaps: acini di pepe or stelline cook in the same time. Orzo or ditalini take 9 to 10 minutes.
- Egg-free: Feel free to skip the egg ribbons. They add texture and nutrients but are not essential.
- Bone broth: Gives the soup tons of added health benefits. Protein varies a lot between brands, so check the label. If your bone broth tastes really salty, use 3 to 4 cups of broth and the rest just plain water.
- Salt at the end: The parmesan rind and the broth both add salt as the soup simmers.
- Crockpot: put the vegetables, broth, rind, thyme, bay leaf and chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Shred the chicken and blend the soup. Switch to high, stir in the pastina and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once. Drizzle in the egg while the soup is steaming hot, then add the chicken back.
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More Recipes To Try
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HEALING
omg this soup is unreal
❤️❤️❤️