This Stelline soup (Italian-style chicken soup) is perfect for cold nights. Stelline is a type of pastina in a star form shape. In this recipe we combine celery, onion, carrots and precooked chicken to make a deliciously simple comfort soup.
Recipe highlights
This pastina soup with chicken is perfect for cold weather because it combines a a handful of vegetables simmer in a tomato-based broth with comforting tiny star pasta and chicken. This soup will keep you warm and full!
Ingredients
- Stelline pasta: Stelline is a type of pastina (tiny pasta shape). They are little stars and are perfect to make this soup, both kids and adults will enjoy it.
- Mirepoix: This is the French term for diced celery, carrots and onion that is used as the base for a lot of soups and stews.
- Tomato paste: This ingredient adds a lot of flavor to the broth and a beautiful color to the soup.
- Protein: To make this soup a well rounded meal on its own right, I added precooked diced chicken. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken in the soup and shredded it before serving. But if you are trying to save time in the kitchen, precooked chicken (rotisserie) is the way to go.
- Vegetable or chicken broth: This is the liquid base of our soup. You can use homemade or low sodium store-bought broth. If you prefer you can also use bouillon and water to make the broth.
- Herbs: I like to finish my pastina soup with a few sprinkles of chopped parsley for color and fresh taste.
Helpful tips
If you want this soup to be ready in no time, use rotisserie or precooked chicken.
If you only have fresh chicken breast, season it well with salt and pepper, sear it on both sides with a tablespoon of avocado oil for 2-3 minutes per side and proceed to make the soup as detailed in the recipe card below.
Add the chicken back into the soup before you add the dry pasta and allow it to fully cook simmering in the soup for about 15 minutes, then add the pastina and cook for another 10 minutes.
Recipe Instructions
Have all your ingredients ready, chopped and measured to make things easy for yourself.
Add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to a heavy bottom pot and add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook them until they are softened but still vibrant, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook until it turns deep red in color, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the broth, cooked chicken and the Stelline pasta and simmer for 10 minutes.
If you are using raw chicken breast, this recipe explains in detail how to cook it.
How to store leftovers
Pasta based soups do not store well for long periods of time as the pasta keeps absorbing the liquid when it is stored.
If you are planning on making this soup and having leftovers, cook and store the pasta separately and add it to individual portions of the soup.
If made as noted in the recipe card below, I do not recommend storing leftovers for more than one day. Note that the texture in the soup will be thicker and the pasta will be much larger (because of the liquid it absorbed).
Reheat the soup by simmering over low heat. You might want to add more broth to thin out the soup.
I do not recommend freezing this soup as it is written because the pasta will loose its shape when reheated.
Chicken Pastina (Stelline soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ cup celery, diced about 2 stalks
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup onion, diced yellow or white onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 cups chicken cooked, shredded or diced
- 1 cup Stelline or any other pastina shape
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat add the avocado oil, onion, celery and carrots.
- Sauté for about 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Add the. chicken broth and thyme and bring to a simmer.
- Remove the thyme sprig if desired, add the Stelline (or other pastina shape) and cook for about 10 minutes.
- The soup will thicken as the pastina absorbs the liquid.
- Serve with fresh parsley and enjoy.
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