Nonna’s Chicken Soup with Pastina

This truly is chicken soup for the Italian soul. Every child raised in an Italian household would remember this. Simple, yet comforting, I remember being given it as medicine for a cold, when I was upset, or any time I needed a little extra love. Because that’s what Nonna did when you weren’t well, she fed you chicken soup.

This is a beautiful soup full of flavour, easy to cook and perfect for the whole family. Just enough vegetables to be nutritious, but the children will still love it.  The tender, shredded chicken adds protein, making this a complete meal.  We always had bread to dunk in to make this meal even heartier. A grating of parmesan is also delicious.

This soup traditionally contains tiny pasta shapes, known as ‘pastina.’  Nonna always used the star shaped ‘stelline’ but you can use Orzo or other small, dried pasta as a substitute.

Nonna's Chicken Soup with Pastina

Comfort in a bowl traditional chicken soup.

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Servings: 4

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ brown onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely sliced
• 6 chicken wings
• 1 L chicken stock
• 1 cup Pastina (small pasta shapes such as Stellini or Orzo)
• salt

Method

 

1. Heat a saucepan over low-medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Add the chicken and cook for a further minute.
3. Cover with the chicken stock and increase heat. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot and discard the chicken skin. Shred the meat finely and return to the pot.
5. Bring back to the boil, add the pastina and cook until the pasta is soft. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.
6. Serve with bread for dipping and a grating of Parmesan if you like.

Recipe from my book Easy Home Cooking Italian Style – New Holland Publishers . Images – Jonathan VDK