Cacio e Pepe Chicken Soup
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Recipe Intro From lisathompson
This cacio e pepe chicken soup is simple, but SO flavorful. You're really missing out if you think the combination of cacio e pepe is reserved only for pasta. Start this chicken soup with a homemade broth made from a small, whole chicken, water, a pecorino cheese rind, and salt. I put the pecorino rind inside the cavity of the chicken so it doesn’t sink and get stuck to the bottom of the pot. Another game-changer when making cacio e pepe is to toast your black peppercorns to release their essential oils. They have a really nice fragrance when you do it this way instead of just having a spicy note. The pastina I used is acini de pepe, which translates to “seeds of pepper” (aka peppercorns), but stelline or another small pasta like orzo works well, too. A 4 to 5-pound chicken works best for this recipe, but you will likely have some chicken left over after adding the 4 cups back to the broth. You can add all of it to the soup or reserve it for another recipe, like my Caesar Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
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ingredients
- 1 4 to 5-pound whole chicken, giblets removed
- 1 wedge Pecorino Romano cheese with the rind
- 4 quarts cold water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
- 4 medium carrots, trimmed and 1/2" diced
- 3 ribs celery, trimmed and 1/2" diced
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and 1/2" diced
- 1 1/3 cups pastina
Method
Step 1
Cut the rind off the pecorino cheese wedge.
Step 2
Add chicken to a large stock pot. Insert the pecorino cheese rind into the cavity of the chicken, then cover with 4 quarts water. Season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours with the lid slightly ajar.
Step 3
Meanwhile, toast the black peppercorns in a small pan over medium-high heat, until fragrant and slightly popping in the pan. Remove from heat and let cool completely before transferring to a pepper grinder. You can also crush them with a mortar and pestle until medium-fine.
Step 4
After about 45 minutes, skim any foam off the surface of the water. This will provide a more clarified broth. Continue to simmer chicken until a drumstick removes easily with almost no force.
Step 5
Carefully transfer the chicken to a large bowl and let cool until you can comfortably shred chicken with your hands.
Step 6
Meanwhile, add carrots, celery, onion, and 1 tablespoon freshly ground toasted black pepper to the broth and bring to a rapid simmer. Cover and let cook for 25 minutes. Add pastina to pot and cook according to package instructions. Remove pot from heat and add in about 4 cups of shredded chicken, reserving any left over for another use.
Step 7
Serve soup into bowls and top liberally with grated pecorino cheese and freshly ground black pepper.