This is the pasta version of my Chicken Lemon Rice Soup. I keep the chicken, coconut cream, lemon, and parsley, and use acini di pepe: small, round pasta that fits easily on a spoon with the shredded chicken.
Cook the chicken first. Add the pasta after you take the chicken out to shred it, so the pasta does not soften through the whole chicken cooking time. Finish with coconut cream, then add the lemon and parsley off the heat.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 2-3 carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 5-6 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 cups (64 fl oz.) low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed to thin the soup
- just under 1 cup dry acini di pepe
- 1 can (13.5 fl oz., about 400 ml) unsweetened coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Let’s make it
Method
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Soften the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 diced sweet onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and lightly golden.
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Add the vegetables. Stir in 2-3 chopped carrots and 5-6 grated or minced garlic cloves. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring so the garlic does not burn.
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Cook the chicken. Add 2 chicken breasts, 8 cups chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Start checking the chicken at 20 minutes; thicker breasts may take longer. The center of each breast must reach 165°F (74°C).
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Shred the chicken. Transfer the 2 cooked chicken breasts to a plate. Shred them with two forks. Leave the broth and vegetables in the pot.
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Cook the pasta. Bring the broth to a gentle boil. Stir in just under 1 cup dry acini di pepe and cook uncovered, stirring often to prevent sticking. Use the package cooking time as a guide and start tasting a minute early. Stop when the pasta is just tender; it will soften further in the hot soup. Add broth or water as needed if the soup becomes too thick.
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Add the coconut cream. Reduce the heat to low. Return the shredded chicken and stir in 1 can (13.5 fl oz., about 400 ml) unsweetened coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk. Heat gently until the chicken and soup are hot.
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Finish with lemon and parsley. Turn off the heat. Stir in ½ cup fresh lemon juice and ½ cup chopped fresh parsley. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve immediately, with crusty bread if you like.
Leftovers
The pasta continues to absorb broth after cooking. Add a little broth or water when reheating, then taste again for salt and lemon. For firmer pasta in later servings, cook just under 1 cup dry acini di pepe separately according to its package directions instead of adding it to the soup in step 5. Store the cooked pasta separately and add it to each bowl when serving.