Chicken and Stars Soup with Basil (2024)

This chicken and stars soup is reminiscent of the Campbell's version you grew up with, but homemade and so much better. It's loaded with vegetables, basil, and lots of love. It's perfect with a warm slice of homemade bread.

Why We Love This Soup

It's easy: Soup is one of my favorite things to make because it's so hands-off and easy. This chicken and stars soup is pretty basic—you can throw stuff in and forget about it, and the longer it simmers, the better it tastes. We use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut, and it makes this soup so easy and foolproof.

No fancy ingredients: We already have most of the ingredients for this soup in our fridge and pantry. All you need is star pasta, some basic vegetables and spices, fresh basil, chicken broth, a little parm, and cooked chicken.

It's comforting: This is the perfect soup for sick kids (and adults!) because it's loaded with vegetables and nourishing bone broth without being boring. The star pasta adds some fun and nostalgia (especially if you grew up eating Campbell's Chicken and Stars like me!) and the parmesan cheese adds a bit of richness. It'll have you feeling all warm and fuzzy in no time.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Celery, Carrots, and Onions: This classic trio of vegetables (sometimes called mirepoix) builds flavor early on in this soup. Don't skip them. You can use frozen carrots if that's what you have on hand.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is best in this soup.

Chicken bone broth: You can substitute regular chicken broth, but bone broth is richer in flavor and has more nutrients. Use homemade if you have it!

Cooked shredded chicken: We use rotisserie chicken—you can use whatever you have on hand or like the best.

Star pasta: Most grocery stores carry star pasta (sometimes called pastina or stelline). If you can't find it, any small pasta will work—orzo or alphabet pasta would be delightful substitutes.

Fresh basil: We always have fresh basil on hand (thanks to our indoor herb garden), and I think it adds such great fresh flavor to this soup. Don't skip this or substitute dried basil—it's just so good.

Parmesan: This is optional I suppose, but adds some richness and flavor that I love on a cold day.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and amounts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Add olive oil, celery, carrots, onions, and seasonings to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and transparent. Then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Step 2: Add chicken broth, lemon juice, water, bay leaves, and chicken to the pot. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Add the star pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Then add the basil and parmesan cheese and turn off the heat. Serve immediately with extra parm on top.

Top Tips

• Use chicken bone broth instead of regular chicken broth. It's way more flavorful and concentrated and it's full of nutrients. It's especially helpful if you're sick, thanks to high levels of potassium and magnesium.
• Cook the soup with the lid off. Cooking with the lid off increases evaporation, which makes the broth a little thicker and more concentrated. I think the flavors are stronger and better without the lid.
• If you don't like spicy food, omit the crushed red pepper flakes. We like a little kick in our soup (especially if we're sick!), but we realize others (especially kids) might not.

Side Pairings

These recipes pair perfectly with this chicken and stars soup:

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