Pastina Soup
Simple pastina soup made with good broth and tiny pasta. The kind of soup every culture has a version of. I make it when someone is sick, when it's cold, or when I want something warm and easy. It takes about 15 minutes and it always hits.
4 people
Calories: 181kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup pastina or any other small pasta
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
For Serving:
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, chop the carrots and celery, and mince the garlic cloves.
- In a large pot, bring the 4 cups of water or vegetable broth to a boil.
- Add the diced onion, chopped carrots, celery, minced garlic, salt, and vegetable bouillon cube to the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the vegetables simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender.
- While the vegetables are simmering, cook the pastina according to the package instructions in a separate pot. Drain and set aside once done.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, use an immersion blender to blend the vegetable mixture until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the vegetables and broth to a regular blender and blend until smooth, then return the mixture to the pot.
- To serve, place about half a cup of cooked pastina in each bowl.
- Ladle the blended vegetable broth over the pastina.
Garnish:
- Drizzle each bowl with a bit of olive oil.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
- Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use homemade broth if you can. The soup is mostly broth, so quality matters here.
- Do not overcook the pastina. It keeps absorbing liquid as it sits.
- Add a beaten egg, drizzled into the hot broth, for egg ribbons.
- Make it a meal with white beans, shredded chicken, or tofu.
- Store broth and pasta separately if saving leftovers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1.718mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5.606IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg