Italian Penicillin Soup
Like the sick day noodle soup, this vegan Italian penicillin soup is a wonderful aid when you’re feeling under the weather. Ready in 30 minutes, it’s so perfectly comforting, warm, and most importantly, delicious!
I may have had to learn how to spell “penicillin” for this recipe. But honestly, it was worth it! This Italian penicillin soup is pure perfection on the day when you’re not feeling so great.
This is the vegan version of the soup, which dons a striking golden color, and doubles as a hidden veggies recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This soup is liquid gold! Onion, garlic, ginger, celery, and carrots come together to create a gorgeous cloudy broth, full of nutrients.
- By blending the broth and adding cute pasta shapes, you can make your kids eat a bunch of hidden vegetables.
- I don’t know what it is about the Italian penicillin soup, but it comforts you like no other! When you’re ill, sad, or just need to stay warm, it’s the best thing you can make.
- The entire dish comes together in half an hour and doesn’t require any special kitchen equipment.
Key Ingredients
- Aromatics, including garlic, onion, and ginger, greate a deep flavor base for the broth.
- Carrots add a little bit of sweetness, as well as giving the soup its signature golden hue.
- Celery is a must for any broth. Trust me, even if you don’t like the taste of raw celery, you’ll love this soup.
- Pastina is fine star-shaped pasta, ideal for soups like hidden veggie noodle soup or vegan Olive Garden minestrone.
Hack It!
- You can use any small pasta shape, including orzo, mini shells, or alphabet pasta.
- Want to really clear your sinuses? Add a chili or two to your broth!
- Adjust the level of salt to taste. If your vegetable broth is already salty, you may hold off on adding any more salt.
- If you love this recipe, you can add variety by swapping out some ingredients (e.g. pumpkin in place of carrot) or adding extras like red lentils or spinach.
- If you want a heavier creamy base, add some coconut milk or a handful of cashews to the blender before combining the veggies.
- You can add as little or as much pasta as you like.
How to Make Italian Penicillin Soup
Step 1: Add water or vegetable broth to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add all of your vegetables and salt.
Step 2: Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Step 3: Meanwhile, cook the pastina or another small pasta of choice. You can drizzle some oil over the top to stop the pasta from sticking together.
Step 4: Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer vegetable chunks to your blender with 2 cups of the broth. Once it cools slightly, blend everything to a thick puree.
Step 5: Pour the vegetable puree back into your broth and stir.
Step 6: To serve, add the pastina to a bowl and pour the hot broth over the top. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and chopped parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re not serving this immediately, I recommend storing the broth and the pasta separately. Refrigerate for 3-4 days and be sure to reheat thoroughly before you eat.
If you have an immersion blender, it’s perfect for blending soup right there in the pot. Otherwise, look for a high-speed blender that can handle warm liquids. Otherwise, account for the extra time it takes to cool the soup before you blend it.
More Hidden Vegetable Recipes
- Butternut Squash Carrot Soup
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce
- Ginger Carrot Miso Dressing
- Green Spring Dumpling Soup
- 30 Clove Garlic Soup
If you’re a fan of simple and nutritious meals like this one, you’ll love PlantYou Scrappy Cooking! And before you ask, yes, it has plenty of pasta and noodle recipes, including a delicious orzo casserole on p.150. Best of all, the entire cookbook is geared toward helping you reduce food waste.
The Recipe: Italian Penicillin Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- ÂĽ inch ginger
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 4 sticks celery, sliced in half
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt, omit if vegetable broth is already salty
- 1½ cup dry pastina
To serve
- freshly cracked black pepper
- fresh parsley, chopped
Equipment
- 1 Soup pot
- 1 High-speed blender or immersion blender
Instructions
- Add water or vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Add all of your vegetables, and simmer for 25 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Cook pastina separately while the vegetables are simmering.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully spoon out the whole vegetables and transfer them to your blender, with around 2 cups of the broth. Allow to cool until safe to handle, then blend until a thick puree is formed.Â
- Pour that back into your broth and stir. To a bowl, add your cooked pastina or pasta of choice, and pour the broth over the top. Top with fresh parsley and black pepper, and enjoy.Â
Notes
- Use any small pasta shape, including orzo, mini shells, or alphabet pasta.
- Want to really clear your sinuses? Add a chili or two to your broth!
- Adjust the level of salt to taste. If your vegetable broth is already salty, you may hold off on adding any more salt.
- If you love this recipe, you can add variety by swapping out some ingredients (e.g. pumpkin in place of carrot) or adding extras like red lentils or spinach.
- If you want a heavier creamy base, add some coconut milk or a handful of cashews to the blender before combining the veggies.
- You can add as little or as much pasta as you like.
