Description
Chicken and Stars Soup is a comforting, kid-friendly American classic featuring tender shredded chicken, tiny star-shaped stelline pasta, and a flavorful medley of vegetables simmered in a savory chicken broth. This easy-to-make stovetop soup is perfect for warming up on cooler days or when you need a nourishing, quick meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftover)
- 3/4 cup stelline (tiny star-shaped pasta)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery, cooking for 5–6 minutes until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.
- Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until aromatic, being careful not to burn it.
- Simmer broth and seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth, and add dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil to combine the flavors.
- Cook the pasta: Once boiling, stir in the stelline pasta. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but not mushy.
- Add chicken and finish soup: Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and heat through for another 2–3 minutes to warm the meat thoroughly.
- Final touches: Remove the bay leaf from the soup, adjust seasoning to your preference, and stir in fresh parsley if using. Serve the soup warm.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, add a splash of lemon juice or a small knob of butter just before serving.
- Stelline pasta can be substituted with orzo or alphabet pasta depending on availability.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to better control salt levels.
- This soup is great for using leftover cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken.
