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Overhead view of Penicillin Soup. A bowl of rich golden broth, chopped green parsley, and finely grated Parmesan. The bowl is surrounded by lemons freshly picked from the tree.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Penicillin Soup

Cold & flu season has nothing on this soup! Penicillin Soup is the ultimate comfort food. It's supremely healing and nourishing; basically a big warm hug in a bowl!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8
Course: Soups
Cuisine: Albanian, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 4 carrots peeled + rough chop
  • 4 celery stalks rough chop
  • 1 onion peeled + rough chop
  • 12 garlic cloves peeled + rough chop
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2" piece of Parmesan rind optional
  • 2 bay leaves
  • fresh oregano a few sprigs or 1 tsp dried
  • fresh thyme a few sprigs or 1 tsp dried
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon paste chicken
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 2 tbsp butter sliced
  • 1 cup pastina translates to 'little pasta'; I reach for the tiny stars
  • Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated; for serving
  • Italian parsley a large handful, chopped; for serving

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 chefs knife
  • 1 vegetable peeler
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 blender
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 soup ladle
  • 1 box grater

Method
 

  1. Add chicken broth to a large pot and warm over high heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, Better than Bouillon, Parmesan rind (if using), a solid 5 finger pinch of kosher salt, and a few good grinds of black pepper; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and semi-cover with lid. Simmer for 35 minutes.
  2. Remove bay leaves, thyme and oregano springs. Transfer everything to a blender (I used my trusty blend tec) and blend until silky smooth. A lot of blenders will have a soup setting so choose that if the option is available to you.
    Remove the top center piece of the blender to allow the steam to exit. Cover with a folded kitchen towel to avoid any mess!
  3. Transfer contents of the blender back to the pot and crank the heat to medium. Add 4 cups of water; cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and butter. Taste, adjust seasoning as needed.
  5. Cook the pastina in salted water as per package instructions. You can use any kind of small soup pasta. Divide cooked pastina among bowls and ladle the golden broth overtop.
  6. Serve with heaps of grated Parm, fresh parsley, and lemon wedges (if desired).

Notes

Important Note: cook the pasta separately rather than in the soup. The pasta will absorb all of the broth and become mushy. Not ideal if you're banking on leftovers. So far, we've enjoyed this batch with acini di pepe and tiny stars (I swear they taste better when you're not feeling well).
How long will this soup last in the fridge?
This golden broth will last in the fridge for 4 days (without the noodles). Simply reheat on the stove and serve over small pastina of your choice.
Can I freeze this soup? 
Yes! This Penicillin Soup broth freezes exceptionally well! Just be sure to skip the pasta if you plan on freezing. You'll want to cook the pastina when you reheat the broth. It's such a treasure to have on hand when you're not feeling well. You will save so much time!