Description
This Sick Day Italian Penicillin Soup is a comforting and soothing pastina soup perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather. Featuring a blend of sautéed onions, garlic, carrots, and celery simmered in a flavorful broth with optional ginger, turmeric, and thyme for an immune boost, this velvety soup is finished with tender mini star pasta and fresh parsley. It’s an easy-to-make, nourishing recipe that offers warmth and vitality, especially on cold or sick days.
Ingredients
Base Soup Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small head garlic, cloves peeled (11 cloves)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 large sticks celery, roughly chopped
- 8 cups filtered water
Optional Flavor Enhancers
- 1/4 inch fresh ginger root, peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Main Pasta
- 1 cup dry pastina, mini star pasta (gluten-free if desired, such as Jovial Stelline brown rice star pasta)
Garnish
- Finely diced parsley leaves
- Optional: vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies: Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion along with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Then add the peeled garlic cloves and continue to sauté on low heat for 10 minutes to develop deep flavors. Next, add the chopped carrots and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Bring to a boil then simmer: Pour in 8 cups of filtered water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the optional peeled ginger root piece, turmeric, and dried thyme if using. Cover and allow the vegetables to simmer gently for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender.
- Cook the pastina: Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the pastina and cook according to package instructions until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
- Blend the veggies: Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, transfer all the solid vegetables from the dutch oven to a high-speed blender along with 3 cups of the broth. Blend until perfectly smooth to create a creamy vegetable puree. Pour the blended mixture back into the dutch oven with the remaining broth and stir well to combine.
- Serve: Place approximately 1/4 cup of the cooked pastina into each bowl. Ladle the blended vegetable broth over the pasta. Garnish with finely diced fresh parsley and optionally vegan parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy the nourishing warmth.
Notes
- You can use gluten-free pastina or other small pasta shapes if desired.
- The optional ginger, turmeric, and thyme add immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory benefits, perfect for sick days.
- If you prefer a chunkier texture, blend only half the veggies or reserve some before blending.
- This soup reheats well and can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a vegan version, use vegan parmesan or omit cheese garnish.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper to taste after blending.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
