Italian penicillin soup is the comfort food you need when you feel under the weather—and this version is vegan! It’s packed with veggies and pasta, but even more importantly, it’s delicious.
“Italian penicillin” is the nickname given to pastina, which is basically the Italian version of chicken noodle soup. The traditional version is made with chicken and chicken broth, along with veggies, plenty of garlic, small pasta, Parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon juice. As you can imagine, it’s delicious and comforting (especially on a sick day!), but I needed to make a few key swaps to make it plant-based!
Why Italian Penicillin Soup Is Cozy Comfort in a Bowl
Despite those ingredient changes, this pastina recipe still packs in lots of good stuff! I won’t promise it will cure a cold, but it definitely serves up lots of comfort food vibes. Here’s why it’s my go-to:
- Miso adds deliciousness. To replace the Parmesan in the classic version of Italian penicillin, I reached for miso. Like Parm, it has a rich umami flavour, making it the perfect substitute. It really makes this soup a standout!
- Warm and soothing. There’s nothing like a bowl of hot soup (or my Hot Toddy recipe) when you have a cold or sore throat—or when you just need some comfort food for your soul. This recipe is like a warm hug!
- Packed with veggies and pasta. All the pasta and vegetables help make this Italian penicillin satisfying.
Notes on Ingredients
As with most soup recipes, there’s a lot of room to make this recipe your own with the ingredients you have on hand. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Olive oil
- Vegetables – I use the classic mirepoix ingredients—onion, carrots, and celery—plus yellow bell pepper and parsnip.
- Garlic – There’s plenty in this soup, but you can add even more if you’d like!
- Fresh herbs – Thyme and rosemary make the soup flavourful and add some Italian flair.
- Vegetable broth – I love my homemade vegetable broth, which is made from veggie scraps.
- Bay leaf
- White miso paste – White miso has a milder flavour than red, so this will add some umami goodness to the broth without dominating.
- Pastina pasta – Pastina, which is the smallest pasta shape produced, is the namesake of this soup.
- Lemon juice – Fresh is a must. Skip the bottled variety, which doesn’t add the same pop of citrus flavour.
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Italian Penicillin Soup
If you’re making this soup now, go ahead and scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full instructions. This is just a quick overview!
- Sauté the vegetables. Cook the vegetables in the olive oil in a large pot set over medium heat. You don’t want to brown them; only soften them.
- Add the herbs and garlic. Stir in the garlic and herbs, then cook for a minute or two, or until they’re fragrant.
- Simmer. Pour in the broth, then stir in the miso and drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
- Thicken it. Blend half of the soup to give the broth a thicker consistency.
- Finish. Stir in the cooked pasta, then add the lemon juice and parsley. Season to taste and serve.
Tips and Variations
- Cut the vegetables to the same size. Uniformly-sized vegetables will cook at the same rate, which means you won’t end up with hard carrots or crispy chunks of onion in your soup!
- Use low-sodium broth. This allows you to control the amount of salt in your soup, which is important since we’re adding miso, which is quite salty.
- Switch up the vegetables. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different vegetables! Stir in some spinach or kale near the end of the cooking time, add diced potatoes for a little extra comfort and coziness, or use up the odds and ends in your crisper drawer.
Serving Suggestions
Italian penicillin is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, especially if you have a big bowl, but I always like to serve my soups with bread for soaking up the broth. Try my No Knead Bread or Vegan Dinner Rolls. Another option is to pair your soup with a salad. This Chickpea Panzanella Salad is another Italian-inspired favourite!
How to Store and Reheat
- Refrigerator: Store any leftover Italian penicillin soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Transfer the desired portion of soup to a pot and heat over medium-low until warmed through or heat the soup in the microwave. The soup will thicken during storage, so you may want to add water to thin it out a bit.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this Italian penicillin recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Italian Penicillin Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 1 large onion diced, about 200 g
- 2 medium carrots sliced, about 150 g
- 2 celery stalks sliced, about 120 g
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced, about 150 g
- 1 parsnip peeled and diced, about 130 g
- 3 garlic cloves minced, about 9 g
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves stripped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves stripped and chopped
- 6 cups vegetable broth low-sodium, 1.5 liters
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste 5 g
- 1 cup dry pastina pasta cooked, about 130 g
- ½ lemon juiced, about 30 ml
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped, about 15 g
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and yellow bell pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme leaves, and chopped rosemary. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the miso paste and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove about half of the vegetables and set them aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining soup until smooth (or carefully transfer to a blender). Return the reserved vegetables to the pot.
- Stir in the cooked pastina pasta and allow it to heat through. Add the lemon juice and parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store any leftover Italian penicillin soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Transfer the desired portion of soup to a pot and heat over medium-low until warmed through or heat the soup in the microwave. The soup will thicken during storage, so you may want to add water to thin it out a bit.
Nutrition
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