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Spezzatino, AKA Italian Chicken Stew

Spezzatino is a hearty, flavorful, easy to make soup. With sprinkles of pancetta for garnnish and gorgeous chunks of chicken, your guests and family will think you were in the kitchen all day.This soup is so flavorful and hearty, it  will soon become a go to comfort food.

Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 People

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 4oz Pancetta Package already diced. You will probably find it in the deli area of your grocery with the high grade salami and such.
  • 3 Carrots Chopped into circles.
  • 2 Celery Stalks Sliced, not too chunky
  • 1/2 Onion, yellow
  • 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic Slightly heaping
  • 1 tsp Salt More as you see fit
  • 1 tsp Pepper More as you see fit
  • 2 Tbsp Better Than Buillion, low sodium roasted chicken base, follow directions could substitute with 48 oz of low- sodium Chicken Broth or Stock.
  • 1 Cup Fresh Basil leaves, packed
  • 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 2 tsp Thyme
  • 2 Bayleafs
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 2 Chicken Breast with Rib Meat
  • 14 oz Canned Artichoke Hearts, drained and rinsed Cut into 4th or smaller.
  • 15 oz Cannellini Beans Could substitute with white northern beans

Instructions

  1. Everything you do will be taking place in the same soup pot.

    Before you start, grab a plate with a paper towel on top and a slotted spoon, if avaliable. This will be for the cooked pancetta.

    Heated your olive-oil and pan on medium heat. Add your pancetta. Cook until it is crispy and brown. Baby sit the pancetta as you would bacon. It cooks quickly. 

    Once crispy and brown, using a slotted spoon, place the pancetta on the paper towels. Put it aside. Maybe hide it from yourself and little fingers, until you are ready to use it at the end.

  2. Into your pancetta grease / olive oiled pot, add your onion, garlic, chopped carrots, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion is translucent. Stirring the mixture so that the garlic and onions do not burn.

  3. Add the Better than Bullion liquid or chicken stock, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, and chicken. Making sure that the chicken is submerged. If not, add some water. It's like making chicken soup, but fancier.

    Bring it to a simmer. Allow to simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Turning the chicken and stirring occasionally.


  4. While the chicken and veggies simmer, slice your basil. An efficient way to do this is to stack several basil leaves on top of one another. Roll them long ways, kind of like a burrito, hold it down gently on the cutting board, and slice ribbons from top to bottom. Set aside.


  5. Add your cannellini beans, cut artichokes,and basil to the soup. Cook until the chicken has cooked through.

    Once the chicken has cooked through, remove it and allow it to cool, about 10 minutes. Allow the soup to continue to simmer.


  6. Once the chicken is cool enough to be handled, remove the meat from the bones, and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.

    Add the chicken back to the soup and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

  7. While the chicken is warming back up, use this time to add salt and pepper to taste.

    Once it's done, remove the bay leaves.

  8. At this point you can serve your spezzitino, or you can serve it later. I have made it ahead of time so often. I feel it tastes even better when re-heated and served later.


  9. When the time comes for you to serve the spezzitino, once ladled into a bowl, don't forget to garnish with pancetta. Your taste buds will thank you for it.

Recipe Notes

I have made spezzatino ahead of time so often. I feel it tastes even better when re-heated and served later.