Description
Italian Penicillin Soup is a comforting, smooth vegetable soup made with carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and parmesan rind, pureed into a velvety texture and enriched with small pasta called pastina. Finished with fresh lemon juice and garnished with parmesan and parsley, it offers a warm and soothing meal perfect for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 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
- Black pepper
- Drizzle of olive oil, optional
- Chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- Cook vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to brown lightly. Optionally, skip this step and add the oil and vegetables directly to the broth to save time.
- Simmer soup: Add the parmesan rind and broth to the pot. Cover and bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft, stirring occasionally.
- Puree vegetables: Remove the parmesan rind and set aside. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. If an immersion blender is unavailable, transfer the soup in batches to a heat-safe blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pot.
- Cook pasta: Stir in the pastina or small pasta shape into the simmering soup. Cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally. For leftovers, cook the pasta separately and combine with the soup right before serving.
- Add lemon: Stir in the juice of a whole lemon. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings or add more lemon juice as desired. For a thinner consistency, stir in additional broth.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan, black pepper, chopped parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Enjoy warm for a soothing meal.
Notes
- Using a parmesan rind adds rich umami flavor but is optional.
- Pastina is a tiny pasta shape perfect for this soup, but you can substitute other small pasta shapes.
- For quicker preparation, skip sautéing vegetables and add directly to broth.
- Cook pasta separately if planning to store leftovers to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Adjust lemon juice to your taste for brightness and acidity.
- Vegetarian option: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Italian soup, penicillin soup, vegetable soup, pastina, comfort food, lemon soup, pureed soup, vegetarian soup
