Chicken Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin Soup)

There’s a reason this soup has been simmering on Italian stovetops for generations. Chicken pastina soup, often nicknamed “penicillin soup,” is the bowl nonnas reach for the second someone in the house sniffles, but you don’t need a cold to justify making it. Tiny pastina pasta turns soft and almost silky in a savory broth loaded with tender chicken and sweet, slow-cooked vegetables, and a splash of lemon at the end wakes the whole pot up. It’s the kind of soup that feels like a hug in a bowl, minus any of the fuss.

What makes this version worth bookmarking is how forgiving and fast it comes together, about 40 minutes start to finish, with ingredients you probably already have on hand. It’s also easy to make your own: swap in rotisserie chicken to save time, stir in a splash of cream for something richer, or add a handful of spinach for extra color. Just keep one thing in mind before you dig in: pastina keeps soaking up broth even after the pot is off the heat, so I’ll show you exactly how to keep leftovers from turning into porridge instead of soup. For the chicken soup lovers try my Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe, Spicy Chicken Soup, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup or this Mexican Chicken Potato Soup Recipe.

• Yellow onion, celery, and carrot: The classic soup trio. Dice them all a similar size so they cook evenly and soften at the same rate.
• Garlic: Added after the vegetables so it doesn’t burn, just enough to round out the broth.
• Chicken broth: The heart of the soup, so use the best one you can. A low sodium broth lets you control the salt yourself instead of the soup tasting flat or oversalted.
• Kosher salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper: Simple seasoning that lets the broth and chicken shine instead of covering them up.
• Pastina: Tiny pasta that cooks in minutes and gives the soup its signature texture. Related recipe: link to a pastina substitutes or Italian pantry staples post here.
• Shredded chicken: Already cooked chicken goes in at the end just to warm through. Rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken both work great here. Internal link: link to a how to shred chicken or rotisserie chicken tips post here.
• Fresh lemon juice: Stirred in at the very end, it wakes up the whole pot and keeps the broth from tasting one-note.

Ways to Customize This Soup

• Make it creamy: Stir in about a quarter cup of heavy cream at the end for a richer, silkier broth.
• Make it smooth: For a creamier texture with the vegetables hidden, blend the broth with an immersion blender after the vegetables are tender, before adding the pasta and chicken.
• Watch the sodium: If you’re not using low sodium broth, hold off on adding salt until you taste the finished soup, and if you’re using regular table or sea salt instead of kosher, use half the amount.
• Swap the pasta: No pastina on hand? Orzo, ditalini, or even broken up angel hair pasta all work in a pinch.
• Add more vegetables: A handful of baby spinach or peas stirred in at the end adds color and a little extra bulk without changing the flavor.
• Boost the protein: Stir in a beaten egg at the very end, off the heat, for an egg drop style twist, similar to Italian wedding soup.

How to Keep the Pasta From Turning to Mush

This is the one thing that trips people up with pastina soup, and it’s worth knowing before you even start cooking. Pastina keeps soaking up broth even after the pot is off the heat, so a soup that looked perfectly brothy at dinner can turn thick and almost porridge-like by the time you reheat it.

A few ways to stay ahead of it:

• Pull it early. Take the soup off the heat when the pastina still has a little bite left. It will keep cooking in the residual heat of the broth.
• Cook the pasta separately if you’re meal prepping. Boil the pastina on its own, then add a scoop to each bowl and ladle hot broth and chicken over the top. This keeps every serving fresh instead of pre-soaked.
• Thin it out when reheating. If your leftovers have thickened up, just splash in a little extra broth or water while reheating on the stove until it’s back to a soup consistency.

Recipe Tips

• Dice evenly for even cooking: Cut the onion, celery, and carrot roughly the same size so they all soften at the same rate instead of some pieces staying crunchy while others turn mushy.
• Don’t skip softening the vegetables: Cooking them until truly tender before adding the broth builds a sweeter, more flavorful base for the whole soup.
• Watch the pasta closely: Pastina cooks fast and keeps absorbing broth even after the pot is off the heat, so start checking for doneness a couple minutes early and pull it while it still has a little bite.
• Add the lemon juice last: Stir it in off the heat right before serving so the flavor stays bright instead of cooking off.
• Use already-cooked chicken: Rotisserie or leftover shredded chicken works great here and keeps the whole recipe quick, since it only needs to warm through.
• Taste before you salt: If you’re not using low sodium broth, hold off on adding salt until the soup is done so it doesn’t end up too salty.

What to Serve With It

• Easy Homemade Naan: Warm, soft bread that’s perfect for dunking straight into the broth.
• Mediterranean Flatbread: A little heartier than naan if you want something more substantial alongside the soup.
• Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts: A bright, peppery salad that balances out the rich broth.
• Easy Lebanese Salad: Light, fresh, and simple enough to pull together while the soup simmers.
• Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich: Turns the soup into a full, cozy meal if you want something more filling on the side.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

This soup is best made fresh, but leftovers absolutely have a place in your fridge or freezer if you handle the pasta right.

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Expect the soup to thicken as it sits since the pastina keeps absorbing broth, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
• Freezer: For the best texture later, freeze the broth and chicken mixture without the pastina. Cook fresh pastina when you’re ready to eat and stir it in, so you never end up with waterlogged noodles.
• Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, and add liquid as needed to loosen it back up.