Italian Penicillin Soup (Whole Chicken Healing Chicken Soup)
This Italian Penicillin Soup (Whole Chicken Healing Chicken Soup) is the kind of old-school comfort food I grew up on — made the way my mom and grandma always taught me, starting with a whole chicken slowly simmered to create a deeply nourishing broth. If you love cozy, restorative soups like my Italian Pastina Soup or my Sicilian Sausage and Ditalini Soup, this traditional Italian chicken soup is another recipe you’ll want to keep on repeat.True Italian Penicillin Soup isn’t rushed and it isn’t complicated — it’s all about patience. By simmering a whole chicken low and slow, this whole chicken healing soup allows the bones to release collagen, minerals, and rich flavor that not only tastes incredible but also supports your body when you need it most.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Broth
- 1 whole roasting chicken about 5 pounds
- Chicken giblets and neck use everything from the cavity
- Water enough to completely cover the chicken
- ⅛ cup whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 carrots cut into thirds
- 3 celery stalks cut into thirds
- 1 white onion peeled, root removed, cut in half
- 6 garlic cloves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Soup
- All of the strained chicken broth from the stock pot
- Cooked chicken meat picked from the bones
- Extra virgin olive oil a few tablespoons
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- Salt & pepper to taste
For Serving (Optional)
- Shaved Parmesan cheese
- Chili crisp or Calabrian chili oil
- Crusty Italian bread
- Optional: cooked pasta on the side
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Healing Broth
- Clean the whole chicken thoroughly. Place the chicken, giblets, and neck into a large stock pot. Fill with water until the chicken is completely covered — about ¾ of the pot or slightly more.
- Add peppercorns, bay leaves, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and olive oil.
- Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 5–10 minutes, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer (just small bubbles).
- Simmer for at least 3 hours, longer if you can.
- Pro Tip: This slow simmer is what gives Italian Penicillin Soup its healing qualities. The longer the bones cook, the more collagen and minerals are released into the broth.
Step 2: Start the Soup Base
- In a separate soup pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium to medium-low heat.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Sweat slowly until softened and fragrant — do not brown.
- Add the chopped garlic and sauté briefly until aromatic. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it deepens in color and smells rich.
Step 3: Strain the Broth
- Place a colander over a large bowl. Carefully pour everything from the stock pot into the colander.
- Reserve the broth.
- Pull out the carrots and celery from the strained contents and add them directly into the soup pot with the tomato paste mixture.
- Instead of blending, mash the vegetables right in the pot using a potato masher.
- Old-school Italian method: No blender, fewer dishes, and better texture.
Step 4: Build the Soup
- Pour the strained broth into the soup pot and bring to a boil.
- Using your hands, pick the chicken meat from the bones, carefully checking for any bones. Add the chicken to the soup.
- Simmer for 5–10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
Step 5: Finish the Soup
- Add the chopped parsley and squeeze in the juice of one large lemon.
- Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- The lemon is essential — it brightens this Italian Penicillin Soup and balances the rich, slow-simmered broth.
Video
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