Slow Cooker Italian Penicillin Soup
Slow Cooker Italian Penicillin Soup is medicine in a bowl! This cozy soup is pure comfort food and is perfect during cold season.
It seems like there are a lot of nasty bugs going around right now, and while I know soup isn't going to cure anyone, I can at least try, right?! Italian Penicillin Soup is, apparently, an Italian grandmother's recipe for a nourishing and healing soup made with a thickened vegetable broth and pastina.
Since this soup is reminiscent of a chicken noodle soup, I knew I had to make it because my kids LOVE chicken noodle soup!
Looking for other kid friendly soups? Check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Cheesy Chicken Taco Soup, and Creamy White Turkey Chili!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy - this recipe is a set it and forget it slow cooker recipe that is so easy to make!
- Nourishing - this soup is loaded with vegetables, rich chicken broth, and protein-filled chicken, making it full of nutrients.
- Delicious - this soup is bursting with flavor.
Ingredients
Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Breasts - I use bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts to add nutrients to this soup. Since it is cooked on high for 8 hours, the bones will start breaking down and releasing nutrients into the broth. This is part of what makes this chicken soup so healing! I also use bone-in chicken breasts in my Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Onion, Celery, and Carrots - these vegetables add flavor along with nutrients to this nourishing soup. You can use white or yellow onion.
Fresh Garlic - garlic is full of flavor and also has anti-inflammatory benefits.
Pasta - really any type of small pasta will work. Many Italian Penicillin Soup recipes have some type of pastina, which is small pasta. If you have a hard time finding it (although you can buy it on Amazon), you can use any orzo, stelline (star shaped pasta)
Chicken Broth - while the chicken will also add savory flavors to the broth I use chicken broth to deepen the flavor even further.
Fresh Thyme - thyme is a great addition to chicken soup, and adds a little bit of earthy flavor.
Variations
Stove-Top - you can make this in a pot on the stove-top instead of the crockpot, if you prefer! Simply follow instructions as noted, and simmer over low heat for 3-4 hours.
Different Herbs - this recipe is really flexible as far as what herbs you use. I use fresh thyme but you could use parsley, oregano, and basil, either fresh or dried.
Lemon - add a squeeze of lemon juice for a citrusy flavor.
Type of Pasta - Italian Penicillin soup is typically made with a small pasta called pastina. You can use acini de pepe, alphabet pasta, star pasta, or any small pasta you can find at your grocery store. If you want to make this a sort of Italian Chicken Noodle Soup, you could use broken up spaghetti.
Chicken - I've made this soup with many different types of chicken, but I always use bone-in and skin-on chicken. Chicken wings and chicken thighs are likely the most cost efficient. You could also use a whole chicken, if you want.
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. Add butter to a large dutch oven or large skillet or a slow cooker with saute/brown function. Once melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Photo 2. If using a dutch oven or skillet, add the sautéed vegetables to a slow cooker. To the slow cooker, add the broth, chicken, and thyme and give it a good stir. Cook on high for 8-12 hours. The longer you cook it, the more the bones will break down and add nutrients to the broth.
Photo 3. Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and skin and discard the bones and skin. Shred the meat. Before adding the meat back, puree the soup with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender to puree.
Photo 4. To the pureed broth, add the shredded chicken along with the pasta. Cook on high for 30 more minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Storage - store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Cook Time - I recommend 8-12 hours of cooking on high, to get the most nutrients out of the chicken bones. Traditional bone broth requires 12 hours of cooking in the slow cooker on high, along with some apple cider vinegar to help break down the bones, but even 8 hours will produce a rich chicken broth that has nourishing properties.
Bone Broth - if you want to make this soup with bone broth, add 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the broth prior to cooking.
Recipe FAQs
The name of this soup stems from the idea that pastina can make one feel better when they are sick, like penicillin. This warm cozy soup is nourishing and hydrating with a flavor-filled broth.
Common brands that make pastina are Barilla, Good & Gather and Colavita. You can also find it on Amazon.
Other Nourishing Soup Recipes You'll Love
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate
Slow Cooker Italian Penicillin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 lb carrots peeled and diced
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ⅓ cup pastina
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, skillet, or a slow cooker with saute/brown function, add the butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- If using a soup pot or skillet, transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken, thyme, and broth. Cook on high for 8-12 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the soup and take the meat off the bones. Discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat.
- Puree the broth with an immersion blender or a regular blender.
- Add the meat back to the soup along with the pasta. Cook on high for 30 more minutes or until the pasta is tender.
- Serve and enjoy!
