Description
A comforting Italian Pastina Soup featuring tender vegetables, savory chicken bone broth, and delicate pastina pasta, enriched with parmesan cheese and brightened with lemon and fresh parsley. Perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
- 1 cup onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped
- 1 quart chicken bone broth
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Pasta & Finishing
- 1 cup pastina
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add finely diced celery, carrot, onion, and minced garlic. Cook for 12 minutes or until vegetables are softened and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Stir in the fresh thyme, chicken bone broth, and turmeric. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes to develop flavors.
- Puree Soup: Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup until smooth and fully integrated, ensuring all vegetables are broken down. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed.
- Cook Pastina: Add the pastina pasta to the simmering broth. Increase heat to bring it to a rolling simmer and cook covered until the pasta is tender and fully cooked, which should take about 6 to 8 minutes. Then remove the pot from heat.
- Add Final Touches: Stir in the lemon juice, minced parsley, and grated parmesan cheese. Allow the soup to cool for 5 minutes. To temper the beaten egg, slowly ladle a small amount of warm broth into the egg while stirring constantly, then gently stir this mixture back into the soup to create a silky texture.
- Serve: Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm and enjoy your comforting Italian Pastina Soup.
Notes
- Use an immersion blender carefully to avoid splashing hot soup.
- Tempering the egg prevents it from scrambling when added to the soup.
- Chicken bone broth can be substituted with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version, adjusting the diet accordingly.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese offers better flavor than pre-grated varieties.
- Pastina cooks quickly; monitor closely to avoid overcooking and mushy texture.
- Adjust seasoning at the end since broth and cheese add saltiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
