Cozy Pastina Soup with Blended Vegetables

If you are feeling under the weather, craving something cozy, or just need a big bowl of comfort, this cozy pastina soup with blended vegetables is exactly what you want. It is warm, simple, comforting, and has that "someone please take care of me" feeling, but you can still make it yourself without doing anything too complicated. We are using carrots, celery, onion, garlic, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, pastina pasta, butter, Parmesan cheese, and a little lemon at the end to brighten everything up. Calm down, Barbara, we are making soup and pretending we have our life together. What makes this pastina soup extra good is that the vegetables get cooked until tender, then blended with some of the broth before going back into the pot. That gives the soup a thicker, cozy texture without needing cream. It also helps get all of that carrot, celery, onion, and garlic flavor into every single spoonful. Then the pastina cooks right in the broth, which makes everything feel even more comforting. Pastina is tiny, adorable, and basically the pasta version of a hug. I do not make the rules. This is one of those easy soup recipes that feels perfect for chilly weather, sick days, winter dinners, or anytime you want something homemade but not overwhelming. It is also great if you want a simple chicken broth soup without chicken, or a cozy pasta soup that still has veggies blended into it. The butter and Parmesan at the end make it richer, while the lemon adds just enough brightness so it does not taste flat. Add a little parsley and extra Parmesan on top if you want it to look cute, because we still deserve a pretty bowl of soup even if we are eating it in sweatpants. If you are looking for an easy pastina soup recipe, Italian pastina soup, cozy soup for cold weather, pastina with blended vegetables, or a simple comfort soup with chicken broth and Parmesan, make this and thank me later.

By Manny Michael

45 minutes

Soup

Italian

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for the pot
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 6 cups chicken broth
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup pastina pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Parmesan cheese, to taste
• Juice from 1 lemon wedge
• Parsley, optional for topping

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to a large pot.
2. Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.
3. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring every once in a while.
4. Pour in the chicken broth.
5. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
6. Put the lid on and bring the soup to a boil.
7. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
8. Carefully remove the vegetables from the pot and add them to a blender.
9. Add about 2 cups of the broth to the blender with the vegetables.
10. Blend until smooth.
11. Pour the blended vegetable mixture back into the pot with the remaining broth.
12. Add the pastina pasta.
13. Bring the soup back to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
14. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often so the pastina does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
15. Once the pastina is cooked, add the butter.
16. Stir in Parmesan cheese to taste.
17. Squeeze in the juice from a lemon wedge.
18. Mix everything together.
19. Ladle into bowls.
20. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.
21. Serve warm and enjoy.