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A white bowl filled with brodo di pollo on a wooden surface with a fork and spoon beside the bowl.
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4.73 / 11 votes

Brodo di Pollo ~ Italian Chicken Soup

Brodo di pollo. That's Italian for "the most gosh darn comforting and restorative chicken soup ever to cross the lips of someone who's under the weather or just needs some soothing sustenance."
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 343

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium (3 1/2 oz) onion, chopped
  • 2 medium (5 oz) carrots, thickly sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, thickly sliced
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons passata (or substitute canned crushed tomatoes that you purée in a blender and then strain)
  • 4 to 6 chicken drumsticks or 2 chicken legs, preferably free-range
  • 8 1/2 cups cold water
  • 1/2 vegetable stock cube (optional)
  • Sea salt
  • 5 ounces long, thin pasta, such as taglierini or angel hair (or substitute a tiny pasta such as stelline, farfalline, or tortellini)
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, to serve
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, and passata. Place the chicken drumsticks or legs in the saucepan, add the water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. 
  • Remove the lid, add the half stock cube, if using, and season with Sea salt. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, until the broth reduces slightly, concentrating its flavor.
  • Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  • Strain the broth into a large, clean bowl and reserve the chicken and vegetables for another meal (such as adding them to some rewarmed leftover broth the next day when you’re feeling stronger and able to tolerate solid foods).
  • Divide the pasta among 4 shallow bowls and ladle the hot chicken broth over it. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve. [Editor’s Note: As one of our recipe testers said to us, “You may not think such a small amount of Parmesan would matter. It does.”]

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g