Description
This comforting Italian Pastina Soup is a creamy and flavorful dish packed with finely diced vegetables, aromatic thyme, and tender pastina pasta simmered in rich chicken bone broth. Finished with Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and a hint of lemon, this low-calorie, low-fat soup is perfect for a cozy meal any time of the year.
Ingredients
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 and Pasta
- 1 quart chicken bone broth
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup pastina
Finishing Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add diced celery, carrot, onion, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, approximately 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add herbs and broth: Stir in the fresh thyme sprigs, chicken bone broth, and turmeric. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Let the vegetables simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes to develop deep flavors.
- Puree the soup: Remove the thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is smooth and all the vegetables are fully incorporated into the broth. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed.
- Cook the pastina: Add the pastina to the pureed broth and bring to a rolling simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and let the pasta cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Finish with egg and cheese: Stir in the lemon juice, minced parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese. Allow the soup to cool for 5 minutes. To temper the egg, slowly ladle a small amount of hot broth into the beaten egg while stirring continuously, then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the soup, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish the soup with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve hot and enjoy your creamy, comforting Italian Pastina Soup.
Notes
- Tempering the egg is essential to avoid scrambling when adding it to the hot soup.
- Pastina cooks quickly; watch closely to prevent overcooking and mushy pasta.
- You can substitute vegetable broth for bone broth to make it vegetarian (note: original recipe is not vegetarian).
- Adjust seasoning at the end as the Parmesan cheese adds saltiness.
- For a richer flavor, try using freshly grated Parmesan cheese rather than pre-grated.
- This soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently to maintain the texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian