Healing Pastina Soup for Cold and Flu Season

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Last Updated on December 12, 2025 by Kiersten James

Italian pastina soup is the ultimate healing comfort food for cold and flu season. Simple ingredients, warm flavors, and ready in just 30 minutes.

As we work our way out of summer and into the new school year, we are on high alert for immune support.

Coughs, when around, are generally managed with lots and lots of homemade Amish cough syrup. Fevers mostly go unmedicated unless there is visible discomfort or they rise above 103°F at night.

Elderberry syrup is taken liberally by all for immune support. Humidifiers and essential oil diffusers are in nearly every room to alleviate dryness and congestion.

There’s not much else you can do from the standpoint of a wife, mother, or caretaker except let things run their course and comfort the soul.

That’s where this healing Pastina soup – also widely referred to as Italian penicillin – comes in.

Over the years, no matter what hits or how severe illnesses may be, it has been one of the most well-tolerated meals despite waning appetites. Pastina soup is my first level of defense when pasta fagioli just won’t do.

Simple Recipe With Big Impact

This healing pastina soup for cold and flu season is made with boiled carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. The soft vegetables are then removed from the pot, blended, strained, then added back into the broth as a thickener.

Depending on the situation, cooked chicken can be added or left out depending on when appetites and tolerance to proteins improve.

Morning Sickness Remedy and Baby’s First Foods

Italian pastina can be a Godsend as a pregnancy soup recipe during those weeks and weeks of morning sickness that always seem to feel like an actual eternity.

It can be nearly impossible to get proper nourishment when the smell of the air makes you nauseous (literally – just the smell of cold outside morning air made me sick). Eat the soup cold or at room temperature to keep the smells down.

While this is normally made during times of sickness to encourage healing and nourishment, this soup’s tiny pasta stars and thick broth make it easy to swallow for babies. It’s a perfect homemade baby food recipe for the early months.

This Soup is Acceptable for Lent and Fasting

As this soup contains broth made from meat and not flesh, it is approved and within the Catholic rules for fasting.

It becomes a full and satisfying meal when paired with a large salad and warm bread during Lent or fasting throughout the year. Just be sure to leave out the cooked chicken.

Healing Pastina Soup for Cold and Flu Season

Ingredients:

• 6 carrots, peeled
• 6 celery ribs
• 1 large onion, peeled
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 12 cups filtered water
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 heaping tablespoon Better Than Bouillon (chicken flavored)
• 5 cups cooked chicken (optional)
• 12oz box Pastina pasta
• Salt and ground pepper, to taste
• Grated pecorino Romano, for serving

Substitutions:

• Use four 28oz boxes of store bought chicken broth or stock instead of the Better Than Bouillon paste if that’s what you have. Adjust the salt levels based upon the type of broth base being used.

Cooking Supplies This Recipe Uses:

• Mesh Strainer for the Pastina
• Blender or food processor
• Large slotted spoon to remove the vegetables

Adjusting the Salt Levels

I use one tablespoon of salt because Costco currently only carries the reduced-sodium chicken-flavored Better Than Bouillon. For the regular bouillon paste, I rarely have to add any additional sodium.

Conventional broth likely won’t need any added salt either. The grated pecorino Romano will also add more salt when mixed in. If you accidentally over do it, just add a cup or two of water to dilute the broth.

Instructions:

Roughly chop the carrots, celery, and onion. Place veggies into a large stock pot with the garlic cloves.

Add 12 cups of water and Better Than Bouillon paste. Whisk until the paste is fully dissolved. If you’re not using the paste, add the broth you are using to the pot.

Raise the heat to bring to a rolling boil.

Place the lid on the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots are nice and tender.

Meanwhile, bring a smaller pot of salted water to a boil to cook the Pastina.

Boil the Pastina for 6 minutes then strain with a mesh strainer. Otherwise, because of the small size, the Pastina will fall through most colanders when draining.

Remove the vegetables and garlic from the broth and transfer to a blender, or in batches to a food processor. Add a ladle of broth to the vegetables and puree until very smooth.

Add the Pastina to the stock pot with the broth. Add the lemon juice.

Using the same mesh strainer, press the vegetable puree through the strainer with the back of a spoon into the pot.

This will catch and remove any of the stringy celery pieces left behind from processing. You don’t want these in the soup, especially for babies or those that may have trouble swallowing.

If adding chicken, shred or chop the meat and add it to the pot with everything else.

Taste and season with additional salt one teaspoon at a time until the desired level is reached. Add freshly ground pepper, if desired. (see notes below)

Keep the lid on the pot to prevent the broth from evaporating as the Pastina will soak up a good amount. This is a desired effect to make it more “hearty” during periods of illness.

If you’d like a thinner soup, you can keep the Pastina separate and ladle a scoop in to each bowl before adding broth. Over time, I found it the separation unnecessary and just combine it all at once when cooking.

Serve with freshly grated cheese, warm Italian bread, and plenty of cozy blankets on the couch until everyone feels better.

Stores well up to 7 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Home Remedies For Cold & Flu

Cough Syrup with Flaxseed, Lemon & Honey

Homemade Fire Cider

Elderberry Syrup (Safe for Toddlers & Adults)

Ear Ache Oil for Babies

Slow Fermented Garlic Honey

Save It For Later!

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