Chicken Pastina Soup Recipe (Chicken and Stars)

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a medium dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add them to the pot skin side down and sear until they begin to brown up, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and sear other side 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Step 2

Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of oil (the chicken will have released some additional), and reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute.

Step 3

Add in chicken broth and stir, making sure to scrap up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to pan, along with thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Cooking with the skin on may result in a lot of grease floating to the top of the broth. In this case, skim it off into a bowl.

Step 4

Take chicken out of broth and put on a plate. Remove and discard skin and bones. Shred the meat, then add back into the soup.

Step 5

Bring soup to a boil. Add in pasta, and cook until it is done, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve.