Italian Penicillin Soup Recipe
Few dishes offer the soul-warming comfort and restorative power of a classic Italian Penicillin Soup. This recipe, perfected through years of testing, delivers a deeply flavorful broth that soothes from the first spoonful. I’ve found that roasting the vegetables first, a technique I learned in Italy, caramelizes their natural sugars and builds a richer base than traditional boiling methods.
PrintItalian Penicillin Soup
Ingredients
Scale
- 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
- parmesan rind (optional)
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cup pastina (or other small pasta shape)
- 1 lemon (more as desired)
- freshly grated parmesan and black pepper
- drizzle of olive oil (optional)
- chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Cook vegetables: Add olive oil to a large pot and heat to medium. Add your vegetables, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are slightly browned. To save time, skip this step and add oil and veggies right to your broth.
- Simmer soup: Add the parmesan rind and broth. Cover, and turn the heat to high until the broth reaches a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Stir occasionally.
- Puree vegetables: Remove the parmesan rind and set aside. Use your immersion blender to puree the vegetables until totally smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, spoon all the cooked vegetables into a regular, heat-safe blender. Blend until smooth and add back to your pot.
- Cook pasta: Add your pastina or small pasta to the simmering soup. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until cooked al-dente, stirring occasionally. Then, turn off the heat. If you're planning on storing leftovers, cook pastina separately and combine with broth right before serving.
- Add lemon: Stir in the juice of a full lemon. Taste, and adjust seasonings and lemon juice as desired. Stir in more broth for a thinner soup, if desired.
- Serve: Add soup to serving bowls and garnish with parmesan, black pepper, and whatever else you like. Enjoy!
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