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Italian Penicillin Soup: The Ultimate Comfort Recipe for Cold and Flu

Close-up of a white bowl filled with hot penicillin soup, featuring shredded chicken, rotini pasta, sliced carrots, and fresh parsley.
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This Italian Penicillin Soup is the ultimate comfort food when you feel under the weather. It is a warm, soothing bowl made with tender chicken, small pasta, and bright lemon flavor. This recipe is simple, easy to digest, and proves you can make healing food without stress.

Ingredients

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  • 6 cups high-quality chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup pastina or acini di pepe pasta
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 large lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes so the vegetables cook through.
  4. Stir in the shredded chicken, pastina, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Check the pasta package directions for exact timing.
  5. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and the chopped fresh parsley.
  6. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve this nourishing soup immediately for the best comfort.

Notes

  • If you want a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the shredded chicken. Add 1/2 cup of white beans for texture if you skip the chicken.
  • For a richer flavor base, use homemade broth instead of store-bought.
  • If you do not have pastina, you can use orzo or any other very small pasta shape.

Nutrition

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