Description
This classic Italian Pastina Soup is a comforting and creamy dish made with tender diced vegetables, flavorful chicken bone broth, delicate pastina pasta, and enriched with Parmesan cheese and a hint of lemon. It’s perfect for a cozy meal and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 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
Soup Base
- 1 quart chicken bone broth
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Pasta and Cheese
- 1 cup pastina
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Finishing Ingredients
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat and melt the unsalted butter. Once melted, add the finely diced celery, carrot, onion, and minced garlic to the pot. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and fragrant, about 12 minutes.
- Add broth and herbs: Stir in the stripped fresh thyme sprigs, chicken bone broth, and turmeric. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Let the vegetables simmer gently for 30 minutes to develop flavor.
- Puree the soup: Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup until smooth, ensuring that all the vegetables are fully integrated into the broth. Taste the soup and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed.
- Cook the pastina: Add the cup of pastina to the pureed soup and bring it back up to a rolling simmer. Cover the pot and cook the pasta until tender, about 7-10 minutes, then remove the pot from heat.
- Add finishing touches: Stir in the fresh lemon juice, minced parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese. Allow the soup to cool for 5 minutes before tempering the beaten egg by slowly ladling a small amount of the hot broth into it while stirring constantly. Then gently add the egg mixture back into the soup to enrich and thicken it without curdling.
- Garnish and serve: Serve the soup garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy your warm and comforting Italian Pastina Soup!
Notes
- Tempering the egg slowly prevents it from scrambling when added to the hot soup.
- If you prefer a vegetarian version, substitute chicken bone broth with vegetable broth.
- Pastina cooks quickly; keep an eye to avoid overcooking and making the soup too thick.
- Fresh thyme adds a subtle earthy flavor; dried thyme can be used but reduce quantity to 1 teaspoon.
- Grated Parmesan cheese adds saltiness; adjust added salt accordingly to avoid oversalting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
