Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (divided)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 6 oz pastina (acini di pepe or stelline)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
Sear and Poach the Chicken Breasts
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until it’s sizzling.
Pat the chicken breasts dry and add them to the pot. Mix the garlic powder, half the black pepper, and salt in a small bowl; season the chicken with this mixture.
Sear for ~5 minutes on the first side until golden brown, then flip. Pour 1 cup of the chicken stock over the chicken, cover the pot, and let simmer gently for ~7 minutes.
The chicken should reach ~165F internal but don’t worry if it’s slightly underdone – it’ll finish cooking in the soup later.
Remove Chicken and Prep the Vegetables
Use tongs to remove the chicken to a large bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
While it cools, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for ~15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery are completely tender.
If the liquid evaporates and the vegetables start sticking, add a splash of stock to prevent burning.
Shred the Chicken
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks or a stand mixer with paddle attachment on low speed.
If using a stand mixer, it takes about ~30 seconds to get perfectly shredded chicken.
Build the Soup Base
Add the remaining chicken stock, 2 cups water, and the remaining black pepper to the pot with the sautéed vegetables.
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook the Pastina and Finish
Once boiling, add the pastina and stir. Reduce heat slightly and boil for ~10 minutes or until al dente.
Acini di pepe usually takes the full 10 minutes, but stelline cooks faster so start checking at ~7 minutes.
Stir in the shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese. Let simmer for ~2 minutes until the chicken is heated through.
Taste and add salt as needed – this depends on how salty your stock was.
Serve immediately with extra Parmesan on top. The pastina will absorb the broth quickly, so if you have leftovers, store the pasta and broth separately.
Chicken Pastina Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper divided
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 6 oz pastina acini di pepe or stelline
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in soup pot and sear chicken breasts with garlic powder, pepper, and salt for 5 minutes per side.
- Pour 1 cup stock over chicken, cover, and simmer 7 minutes until nearly cooked through.
- Remove chicken and sauté onions, carrots, and celery for 15 minutes until tender.
- Shred chicken using forks or mixer.
- Add remaining stock, water, and pepper to vegetables. Bring to boil.
- Add pastina and cook 10 minutes until al dente.
- Stir in shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese. Simmer 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve with extra Parmesan.
