Italian Penicillin Soup

If you’ve tried my Chicken Carcass Soup, then you’re going to love this Italian Penicillin soup too! Commonly referred to as Sick Day soup or Chicken Pastina soup, it’s set apart from a classic chicken noodle soup by blending a portion of the simmered vegetables which are then returned to the soup. The result is a full-bodied soup with added complexity of flavor. 

Another little trick is to let the bay leaf and Parmesan rind simmer in the broth, elevating the flavor of this soup even further! Once you’ve tried it, it’s hard to return to ordinary chicken soup! 

Ingredient notes

• Olive Oil – For sautéing the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. You can use butter instead to add richness and depth to the soup base, preferably unsalted.
• Yellow onion, carrots, and celery – The trifecta of veggies for most soups and savory sauces.
• Garlic – Minced garlic infuses the soup with aromatic warmth when sautéed with veggies.
• Chicken carcass – The carcass of a 4-5 pound roast chicken simmers in the soup, adding incredible flavor. 
• Chicken broth – Or, swap in my instant pot bone broth or vegetable broth. 
• Parmesan rind – This is optional, but it provides extra flavor!
• Water
• Bay leaf – Don’t forget to remove this from the soup pot before blending. 
• Pasta – I prefer to use acini de pepe pasta in soup recipes (like my Italian wedding soup) for small, easy bites but any short pasta noodle will work. You can use egg noodles, ditalini, orzo, elbow macaroni, shells, or anything else you have at home.
• Kosher salt and pepper – To taste. 
• Parmesan cheese – I love freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled over each bowl of this Italian Penicillin soup, but it’s optional.

How to make it

Step 1

Sauté the aromatics

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. 
• Add onions, carrots and celery and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until veggies have softened, 6-8 minutes. 
• Add garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Step 2

Simmer

• Add the chicken carcass to the pot, along with the broth, parmesan rind (if using), water, and bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Blend the soup

• Skim any foam or fat from the broth with a ladle as necessary.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf, parmesan rind (if you used one), and remove the chicken carcass with tongs and set aside. 
• With a slotted spoon, remove about half of the veggies and set aside. 
• With an immersion blender, or regular blender, puree the broth/veggie mixture in the pot until smooth.

Step 4

Cook the pasta

• Add the pasta to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. 
• Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Step 5

Assemble and serve

• Meanwhile, when the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick off the meat, and shred it into bite-size pieces.
• When the pasta is done, add the chicken and reserved veggies to the broth and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Top each bowl of Italian Penicillin soup with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Making the most of your roasted chicken

A roast chicken is a gift that keeps on giving, so make the most of it by using every last bit, from the meat to the bones. Here’s how:

• Chicken Drippings: Put your leftover chicken drippings to use in this surprisingly simple Chicken Gravy recipe! It’s easy to make and is loaded with deeply rich and savory flavors. Enjoy it as the ultimate compliment to your weeknight dinner or for special gatherings. 
• Chicken Carcass: A chicken carcass offers a well-rounded flavor and plenty of collagen from the bones and connective tissues, which is ideal for making rich broth, like bone broth or chicken broth. 

Tips and tricks

• If you’re using a store-bought rotisserie chicken, pick all the meat off before starting. Use the carcass for the broth mixture, and have the shredded meat ready to go at the end.
• Always taste your soup at the end to adjust the seasoning as required. This is particularly important when using broth in soup as different brands of chicken broth will have different amounts of salt.
• Only add the pasta towards the end to preserve texture. Cooking the pasta in the rich soup base helps to infuse incredible flavor that you wouldn’t get if you boiled it separately. 
• You can make this soup ahead of time. However, the pasta will become soggy, and the soup will become thicker as the pasta will continue to soak up that liquid. To solve this, I like to prepare the base of the soup without the pasta, then when I’m ready to serve it, I add some cooked pasta to the reheated soup.
• Lemon Juice – While this isn’t in the list of ingredients, you can add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the soup at the end to brighten it. 
• To thicken this soup, whisk together 1 cup of whole milk (or water) with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir it into your finished soup until thickened.
• A chicken carcass will last for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Otherwise, you can freeze it for up to 3 months and thaw it for a few hours before using in this soup recipe. So next time you roast a chicken for the family, consider storing it to make this soup at a later time. 

Serving suggestions

I love to serve this Italian Penicillin soup with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan. Go ahead and savor this ultra feel-good soup as a complete and balanced meal or pair it with some of these delicious sides:

• Crostini
• Homemade Croutons
• Smashed Potatoes
• Roasted Broccoli
• Garlic Bread or Pesto Garlic Bread
• Arugula Salad
• More → 25+ BEST Sides for Chicken Soup

Storing

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. It also stores well in the freezer for up to three months.
• To reheat, add a splash of broth or water to thin it out again since the soup will naturally thicken as the pasta continues to soak up the liquid in storage. You can reheat this soup on the stovetop, microwave, or in a pressure cooker. 

Did you make this Italian Penicillin soup?

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