Italian Chicken Pastina Soup (aka Italian Nonna's Penicillin Soup)
This cozy, comforting soup is known to be Italian Nonna's Penicillin, healing you with each spoonful of soft pastina, tender chicken, and nourishing broth.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker with float valve and sealing ring
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to get that smooth, fruity start
- 1 tablespoon butter for a bit of richness
- 1 large onion diced small
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery diced small
- 1 large yellow bell pepper diced small
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth maybe more
- 1 pound carrots diced small
- 1 parmesan rind optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- ⅓ cup uncooked pastina tiny pasta; double it if you love noodles in every bite
- 2½ - 3 cups rotisserie or leftover chicken shredded
- grated Parmesan for serving
- finely chopped fresh rosemary and/or fresh thyme leaves to finish with herbal freshness
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat your olive oil and butter in the pressure cooker over medium heat to set the base for flavor.
- Add diced onion and shallot, and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Stir in celery, yellow bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until everything is tender and fragrant, stirring often.
- Pour in chicken broth. Add diced carrots and optional parmesan rind. Lock the lid, set pressure to high, and cook for 7 minutes.
- Use slow release to gently drop the pressure and open the lid gracefully.
- Stir in pastina and cook for 5-7 minutes on sauté or low-pressure mode until al dente.
- Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Remove parmesan rind. Add shredded chicken and stir in reserved veggies if using.
- Serve warm topped with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs.
Notes
For best texture, store pastina separately before refrigerating. Add fresh herbs and cheese when serving for ultimate homemade goodness. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut to make this soup quickly.