ITALIAN PENICILLIN SOUP
6-8
servings1
hour30
minutesPastina, aka Italian Penicillin, is the ultimate Mediterranean comfort food for battling a cold or just soothing your soul. This soup’s aromatics are simmered in Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil then pureed until velvety smooth. Our mustard-rich House Blend adds a big pop of umami flavor. Tiny, star-shaped pasta called Pastina are added to this bowlful of comfort. This soup is a nostalgic staple in Italian households, prescribed by generations of Nonnas. Give this restorative, heart-warming soup a try!
If you can’t find pastina, sub in the tiny alphabet pasta or orzo.
Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp House Blend
1 tsp Dried Thyme Leaf
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
2 32-oz cartons chicken stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Parmesan cheese rind, optional
2 Bay Leaves
Meat from a rotisserie chicken
1 cup pastina pasta
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch over medium heat. Drizzle Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat the bottom. Heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add in the House Blend, thyme and black pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken stock, soy sauce, cheese rind (if using) and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove and discard the Parmesan rind and bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Return the puréed vegetables to the pot. Bring the soup back to a boil over medium heat, and add the shredded chicken and pastina pasta. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt. Serve with chopped fresh parsley.
