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Italian Penicillin Soup Recipe

Italian Penicillin Soup Recipe
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★★★★★

5 from 21 reviews

Italian Penicillin Soup is a comforting and nourishing vegetable broth-based soup enriched with pureed carrots, onions, garlic, and celery, accented with a parmesan rind for depth, and finished with small pasta and fresh lemon juice for brightness. This hearty yet light soup offers a perfect balance of savory and tangy flavors, making it an ideal remedy for chilly days or when you’re feeling under the weather.

Ingredients

Scale

Main 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

To Serve

  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Black pepper
  • Drizzle of olive oil, optional
  • Chopped parsley, optional

Instructions

  1. Cook vegetables: Add olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, celery, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly browned. For a faster preparation, you may skip this step and add oil and vegetables directly to the broth.
  2. Simmer soup: Add the parmesan rind and broth to the pot. Cover and increase heat to high until the broth reaches a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft, stirring occasionally.
  3. Puree vegetables: Remove the parmesan rind and set aside. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the cooked vegetables and broth in batches to a heat-safe blender and blend until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
  4. Cook pasta: Add pastina or small pasta to the simmering soup. Cook for 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. If storing leftovers, cook pasta separately and combine with broth just before serving.
  5. Add lemon: Stir in the juice of one lemon. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning and lemon juice as desired. Add more broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.
  6. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan, black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy warm.

Notes

  • You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to make this soup vegetarian.
  • Cooking the vegetables before simmering adds extra depth of flavor but is optional.
  • If you don’t have pastina, any small pasta like orzo or small shells will work.
  • Adding lemon juice brightens the flavors and balances the richness.
  • Store leftover pasta separately to prevent it from becoming mushy when reheated.
  • This soup freezes well but separate the pasta when freezing to maintain texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: Italian Soup, Penicillin Soup, Comfort Food, Vegetable Soup, Pastina Soup, Healthy Soup, Immune Boosting Soup

Find it online: https://cookwithruby.com/italian-penicillin-soup-recipe/