Description
On cold days or when one of us feels under the weather, nothing soothes like a bowl of Italian Penicillin Soup. With pureed veggies, tiny pastina pasta, and a squeeze of lemon, it’s creamy, bright, and comforting—the ultimate healing meal.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 ribs celery, halved
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- Parmesan rind, optional
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cup pastina (or other small pasta shape)
- 1 lemon, more as desired
- Freshly grated parmesan and black pepper
- Drizzle of olive oil, optional
- Chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add carrots, onion, garlic, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook 4–5 minutes until slightly browned.
2. Add parmesan rind and broth. Cover and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25–30 minutes until vegetables are very soft.
3. Remove parmesan rind. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Or blend in batches carefully.
4. Stir in pastina. Cook 8–10 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the juice of one lemon. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add extra broth for thinner consistency if desired.
6. Ladle into bowls. Top with parmesan, black pepper, olive oil drizzle, or parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
If storing leftovers, cook pasta separately to avoid mushiness.
Let soup rest 5 minutes after cooking to allow flavors to meld.
For a vegan version, use vegetable broth and skip parmesan rind.
Freeze soup and pasta separately to preserve texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 5g
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g