Italian Penicillin Soup Recipe for Comfort and Healing

Editor: Arshita Tiwari on Sep 03,2025

 

When you’re run down, a bowl of soup can feel like medicine. That’s exactly why Italian penicillin soup earned its name. Unlike ordinary broth, this version carries the richness of vegetables, the brightness of lemon, the creaminess of Parmesan, and the comfort of tiny pastina. Whether you grew up with it or are just discovering it now, Italian penicillin soup is the kind of dish you’ll crave on sick days, cold nights, or when you just need something soothing.

Penicillin Soup in Italian style isn’t a dainty recipe. It is more like a comfort meal you get from familiar ingredients that have been longing to work together. Soup is gentle to the stomach, but the combination of vegetables, broth, pastina, and maybe even chicken give it a real nourishing and hearty feel.

Italian Penicillin Soup Ingredients

A soup like this is simple yet there’s so much to appreciate. Most recipes tend to stick to the following:  

  • Olive oil or butter to saute  
  • Onion, carrots, and celery, classic mirepoix  
  • Garlic, for some more flavour  
  • Chicken broth, the main flavour component  
  • Parmesan rind, for some body and a nutty finish  
  • Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, or bay leaf  
  • Pastina, or small pasta shapes like acini di pepe or stelline  
  • Lemon zest and juice, for a bright touch  
  • Shredded chicken (optional, but I’d definitely add it) 

Using these Italian penicillin soup ingredients, which are most likely in your kitchen already, you can make a restorative meal. The Parmesan rind is an Italian secret as it elevates the broth and adds richness without needing cream. The lemon helps with balance and freshness so the soup doesn’t feel heavy to the palate.

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Italian Penicillin Soup Recipe (Step by Step)

Here’s a straightforward method to make your own comforting bowl:

  1. Heat olive oil or butter in a large pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until softened.
  2. Pour in chicken broth. Add the Parmesan rind, herbs, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer until vegetables are tender.
  3. Remove herbs and rind. Blend a portion of the broth with vegetables until smooth, then stir it back in. This gives the soup its signature creaminess without cream.
  4. Stir in pastina. Cook until the pasta is tender.
  5. Add shredded chicken if you’re making Italian penicillin soup with chicken.
  6. Finish with lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This Italian penicillin soup recipe is flexible. You can keep it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the chicken, or make it heartier by loading up on protein.

Italian Penicillin Soup with Chicken

While the vegetarian version is light and clean, adding chicken transforms it into a satisfying main meal. Italian penicillin soup with chicken is the version many families lean on when illness hits. The protein helps rebuild strength, while the hot broth and pastina provide hydration and comfort.

Rotisserie chicken works beautifully if you want to save time. Simply shred the meat and stir it in at the end. Poached chicken or leftover roast chicken can also be used. However you add it, chicken takes this already soothing recipe and makes it feel complete.

Italian Penicillin Soup Pastina

The ingredient that makes this soup stand out is pastina. Tiny pasta shapes like acini di pepe, stelline, orzo, or corallini soak up the broth and give each bite substance. For many Italians, pastina is the ultimate childhood comfort food. It’s why Italian penicillin soup pastina has such strong nostalgic appeal—it feels familiar even if you didn’t grow up with it.

Pastina cooks quickly, making the soup ideal for busy days. It also makes the broth more filling without overpowering the delicate balance of flavors. Even kids who refuse vegetables happily eat pastina. That’s part of why Italian penicillin soup has become a family favorite.

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italian penicillin soup benefits

Italian Penicillin Soup Benefits

Beyond taste, the Italian penicillin soup benefits are what give it its reputation:

  • Hydration and electrolytes: The broth helps replace fluids when you’re sick.
  • Vitamins and minerals: Blended vegetables deliver nutrients in every spoonful.
  • Protein (if chicken is added): Essential for strength and recovery.
  • Gentle digestion: Soft pastina and blended vegetables make it easy to eat even with a poor appetite.
  • Uplifting flavor: Lemon and Parmesan brighten the dish, lifting your mood as much as your body.

Doctors may not officially prescribe penicillin soup Italian style, but its comforting effects are undeniable. Families have relied on it for generations because it works—not as medicine, but as nourishment that feels healing.

Why This Soup Stands Out

What sets Italian penicillin soup apart from ordinary chicken noodle soup is its technique. Instead of leaving chunky vegetables floating in broth, part of the soup is blended, creating a creamy base without cream. This makes the flavor richer and the texture smoother. Add pastina to that base, and you get a soup that’s both hearty and easy to eat.

It’s also endlessly customizable. Want it meatless? Skip the chicken. Prefer stronger flavor? Add more herbs or a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Cooking for kids? Keep it simple with just broth, pastina, and a touch of Parmesan. The adaptability is what has kept penicillin soup Italian at the center of family kitchens for decades.

How to Serve and Store

  • Serving: Garnish with extra Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, or chopped parsley. Pair it with crusty bread for a complete meal.
  • Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days. The pastina will continue to soak up broth, so add a splash of water or stock when reheating.
  • Freezing: Freeze without the pasta if you plan ahead. Add fresh pastina when reheating for the best texture.

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Final Thoughts

Italian penicillin soup is proof that simple food can be the most powerful. With a handful of humble Italian penicillin soup ingredients, you can create a dish that comforts, nourishes, and uplifts. Whether you follow a classic Italian penicillin soup recipe, add chicken for extra strength, or lean on Italian penicillin soup pastina for nostalgia, the result is the same: a bowl that feels like care itself.

In the end, the greatest Italian penicillin soup benefits aren’t just nutritional—they’re emotional. When you sit down with a steaming bowl of penicillin soup Italian style, you taste tradition, comfort, and a kind of healing that only food made with love can deliver.


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