Creamy Chicken and Orzo Soup
User Reviews
5
Creamy Chicken and Orzo Soup
Description
The soup begins by sautéeing diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in butter with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, creating a flavorful base. Shredded cooked chicken is added for protein, followed by chicken stock and a Parmesan rind that simmers to impart subtle cheesy depth. Orzo pasta cooks in the broth until just tender, integrating into the soup.
A mixture of milk and flour is whisked in last to lightly thicken the soup, giving it a creamy consistency without heaviness. Fresh parsley folded in at the end adds a bright herbal note. Serving includes optional lemon wedges to spritz for acidity and additional Parmesan topping to enhance richness.
This soup is ideal for a nourishing meal and can be served immediately. The method emphasizes layered flavors from the vegetables, cheese rind, and herbs, balancing creaminess with brightness.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 onion diced, sweet
- 3 carrot peeled and diced
- 2 celery diced, sticks
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 ½ cups chicken cooked, shredded
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 Parmesan Cheese rind
- 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons parsley plus more for topping, fresh
- Parmesan Cheese for topping
- lemon for spritzing, wedges
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - I’d say at least ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to start. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften. Stir in the garlic cloves and poultry seasoning. Stir in the shredded chicken.
- Add in the chicken stock and the parmesan rind. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Stir in the orzo pasta. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente, about 8 minutes.
- In a shaker bottle even a bowl, shake (or whisk) together the milk and flour to form a slurry. Pour this into the soup and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. If the parmesan rind didn’t melt entirely, you can scoop it out at this point. Stir in the fresh parsley.
- Serve immediately with a lemon wedge for sprinkling, parmesan cheese for topping and parsley sprinkled on top.
- Note: if you want to prep this for meals ahead of time, or want to have it for leftovers, I suggest cooking the orzo separately as it will soak up most of the broth as it sits overnight. Combine the soup and orzo and reheat to enjoy!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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