Brodo di Pollo con Pastina
"The richness of the broth is out of this world"
This comforting chicken soup does not require premade or even store-bought broth: Instead, boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook in water with aromatics like onion, carrots, celery, and garlic — and a good drizzle of olive oil — for a rich, flavorful broth that comes together fairly quickly.
Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), or to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch half moons
3 large celery ribs, sliced into ¼-inch half moons
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ cup pastina, such as Acini di Pepe, or orzo (about 4 ounces)
½ cup finely chopped parsley
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Preparation
Place the chicken and 10 cups of water in a large pot. Partly cover and bring to a boil over high heat, keeping a close eye so that it doesn’t overflow and skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
Add the onion, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper; stir and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover completely, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and tomato paste, stirring to incorporate the tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and allow it to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.
Remove the cooked chicken and place it in a large bowl. Add the pastina to the soup, stir and increase the heat to high and allow it to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente, stirring occasionally.
While the pasta cooks, shred the chicken with a fork. Add the shredded chicken and parsley to the soup, stir, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Serve topped with grated Parmesan.
Keywords: Main Soup Poultry Italian
