Soup season is here! I have a few new recipes in mind that I want to try but we’ll start off with a classic. My go-to is the chicken orzo soup my mom and my grandma (Mia) made whenever anyone was sick.
Everyone has their own way of making “chicken noodle soup,” and I respect them all. Even when I follow my mom’s recipe, I make little changes. In our town celery is practically impossible to find—it’s just not a popular veggie here. So even though the classic mirepoix calls for carrot, onion, and celery, I usually make mine without it. Last year I even threw in some frozen spinach on a whim and I loved it – I will definitely be doing that again.
Another personal preference: I like shredded chicken in my soup instead of chunks. It’s a texture thing, but of course, do whatever makes you happy! I cook the chicken breast in a mix of chicken stock and water, shred the chicken, then use that cooking liquid as the base for the soup – you can also use rotisserie chicken!
Be mindful of the orzo – it swells up over time if you have a lot of leftovers. I believe “best practice” is to cook the orzo separately and add it to your servings as you go. If this seems like more work, a waste of an extra pot/bowl, do what I do and just add it right to the whole pot. I just add a little water before re-heating my bowl of chicken orzo soup.
Here’s how I make it:
Start by placing your chicken breast in a pot and covering it with chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through—about 12 minutes. If you’re using a store-bought rotisserie chicken, shred the chicken breasts and skip this step.
While that’s going, prep the onion, carrots, and celery. I use celery root (celeriac) since celery stalks aren’t easily available to me.
Once the chicken’s done, pull it out and shred it with two forks. Set aside the broth for now.
In a larger pot: heat a little olive oil or butter and toss in the onion, carrots, celery, and salt. Sauté until they’re soft but not browned.
Now return the shredded chicken to the pot along with all the reserved broth. Bring it back up to a boil, then stir in your orzo. Lower the heat and let it simmer until the orzo is tender—about 15 minutes. If it looks too thick, add some extra broth if you have any or a cup of water.
If you’re adding spinach, toss it in for the last 5 minutes.
Right before serving, add 1 – 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Chicken Orzo Soup
Course: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy20
minutes30
minutesIngredients
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6-8 cups (~1.5 L) low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 stalk celery (if you have any)
½ teaspoon salt (plus salt and pepper to taste)
Olive oil or butter for softening vegetables
- Optional:
½ bag of frozen spinach, or 2 cups fresh baby spinach
Directions
- Cook the chicken:
Place your chicken breast in a pot and cover with 4 cups of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about 12 minutes).
If you’re using rotisserie chicken, skip this step. - Prep the vegetables:
While the chicken is cooking, dice the onion, carrots, and celery. - Shred the chicken:
Remove the chicken from the broth and shred. Save the broth—if you’re using the same pot to make the soup, pour the broth into another container for now. - Start the soup base:
In the (empty) pot, heat ~2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and sauté until soft (but not browned). Season with ½ teaspoon salt. - Add chicken and broth:
Return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the reserved broth. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. - Cook the orzo:
Add in the orzo and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the orzo is tender (about 15 minutes). - Optional: Add spinach
In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add ½ bag of frozen spinach if using. - Finish the soup:
Add fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
