Description
Italian Pastina Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring small star-shaped pasta simmered in a smooth vegetable broth blended with tender carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. This quick and easy recipe yields a warm, nourishing soup perfect for any day, garnished with fresh parsley, grated parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil for extra richness.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 cup pastina pasta (stelline shape or similar)
- 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth, low-sodium preferred)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 bay leaf
- Optional: 1 parmesan rind
Garnish (optional)
- Chopped parsley
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Roughly chop the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves to ensure they cook evenly and blend smoothly.
- Simmer Broth and Vegetables: In a large pot, pour the vegetable broth and add the chopped vegetables along with the bay leaf and parmesan rind if using. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Check and Strain: Test the vegetables for doneness with a fork to confirm they are soft. Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind. Use a slotted spoon or colander to strain the cooked vegetables from the broth.
- Blend Vegetables: Transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender, add half a cup of water, and blend until smooth to create a creamy vegetable puree.
- Combine and Season: Pour the blended vegetables back into the pot with the broth. Stir well to combine and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Cook Pastina: Bring the soup to a boil and add the pastina pasta. Stir every minute to prevent sticking. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the pastina is tender and cooked through.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- You can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth for a non-vegetarian version.
- Low-sodium broth is preferred for better control over salt content.
- If you do not have pastina, very small pasta shapes like orzo or acini di pepe can be used as a substitute.
- Blending the vegetables creates a creamy texture without cream, keeping the soup light.
- Stirring the pastina often prevents it from sticking and ensures even cooking.
- This soup freezes well without pasta — add fresh pastina when reheating.
