Chicken Orzo Soup

With the “cold” weather upon us in sunny San Diego, Kevin and Keira have both already caught a bug that wiped them out.  So, as expected, I whipped them up my amazing chicken orzo soup recipe.  Trust me when I say, this hearty and healthy soup is a favorite when battling a cold.  If your partner/family member/friend is anything like Kevin, I know the struggle of constantly force feeding and reminding them to drink plenty of fluids.  With this soup, I always know he will go back for seconds on even the worst day of his illness. 

This soup is super quick and you can have it served up in no time at all.  Not to mention how delicious the kitchen will smell.  Even your congested loved one will be able to smell all the yummy goodness from the vegetable mirepoix that’s elevated with some much needed ginger and turmeric (both known for their powerful immune boosting properties).

What’s in the Chicken Orzo Soup?

• Vegetable mirepoix – this is a fancy term (pronounced meer-PWAH) for the aromatic base of this soup – carrots, celery, and onion.  I really lean into extra veggies to produce a nice and chunky soup.  
• Garlic – 3-4 cloves of garlic work great with this dish, you can always add more.  You’re the boss.  
• Ginger – I use a one inch piece of ginger – comparable to about 1 tbsp.  Don’t skip it, ginger has amazing medicinal properties and is known to help with reducing inflammation and sore throats. 
• Turmeric  – Turmeric powder is easiest in this recipe, beware it stains.  Turmeric is another natural remedy in fighting colds – it has anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to fight infection, and flushes out that upper respiratory system.  Cool, right? 
• Rosemary – 3 sprigs is what this recipe calls for.  This herb also has anti-inflammatory properties! 
• Thyme – 3 sprigs also.  This herb is slightly earthy with some lemon flavor as well.  This helps to tie the soup nicely together. 
• Chicken bone broth – 6-8 cups.  I like to give a range so you can decide on the amount of broth you want this soup to have. 
• Orzo pasta – I love using orzo pasta, it does a great job of really bulking up the soup, while not taking over any of the delicious flavors that you’ve put together.  
• Chicken – To keep your life easy get the unseasoned rotisserie chicken.  If you want to cook up some chicken yourself, see the FAQ’s section below.  
• Lemon – Adding a bit of lemon juice really rounds out this soup.  Just be sure to not add too much, as it can over power the soup.  If you don’t like lemon in your soup, skip it and serve the lemon on the side.  

Tips and Tricks

1. Use a zester

I like to use a citrus zester to really break down all the fibers in the ginger.  If you don’t have a zester, you can use a cheese grater and use the smallest holes.  Another option is to just really mince the heck out of the ginger.

2. Shorten the prep time of chicken orzo soup by not picking apart all your herbs 

Just throw the rinsed sprigs in the soup, but besure to remove them before serving.  You’ll notice most of the thyme leaves will fall off the stem from the heat of the soup.  

FAQs

Can I skip the rotisserie chicken and saute up my own?

ABSOLUTELY! I recommend getting about 1 ½ lbs of chicken thigh.  Dark meat is much more forgiving, and stays juicier.  If you prefer chicken breast, that’s fine too, go for it! 

Pat dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp EVOO to dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until outside is a nice golden brown. Remove chicken from dutch oven and set aside. Proceed with the recipe using a wooden spoon and the mirepoix to scrape browned bits off the base of the dutch oven (this adds even more flavor to the dish). Slice chicken, if it is not completely cooked through, add chicken back to soup when you add the orzo to the soup.

Can I freeze this soup?

Yes. There are two ways to freeze the soup.

1. Omit the orzo prior to freezing: Remove the amount of soup you wish to freeze and add the desired amount of shredded chicken to separated soup, let cool, and freeze. When you plan to reheat, remove soup from the freezer, let thaw, and reheat. As you are reheating add the desired amount of orzo to soup and enjoy!
2. Add orzo to soup while cooking, but remove desired freezer portion to let cool when orzo is very al dente. Complete remaining steps in the recipe dividing ingredients between your separated portions. Let soup cool and freeze. When reheating, you may need to add an additional cup of broth to the soup.

Tips when freezing: Be sure to label your freezer bag with both what contents are in, and any additional reheating instructions (ie – add 1/3 cup orzo when reheating).

This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.

As always I really hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I do, please feel free to share any tips or tricks that you have discovered works well when making my chicken orzo soup, I’d love to learn more!

Print Recipe

Chicken Orzo Soup

Healthy and hearty soup that is so quick and easy to make. A personal favorite when trying to battle a cold.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Savor and Crave

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Equipment

• Dutch oven or Stock pot
• Citrus zester (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 4 medium carrots cut into ¼ inch half moons
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic minced (or 1 heaping tbsp)
• 1 inch ginger minced
• 1½ tsp turmeric powder
• 3 sprigs rosemary finely chopped (about ½tbsp)
• 3 sprigs thyme finely chopped (about ½tsp)
• 6-8 cups chicken bone broth
• ⅔ cup orzo uncooked
• 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup green peas

Instructions

For the Soup Base

• Heat your EVOO (1 tbsp) in your dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add in your carrots (4 medium, sliced into ¼ in half moons), chopped celery (3 stalks), and chopped yellow onion. Season with kosher salt (1 tsp) and fresh cracked black pepper (½ tsp). Saute for 3 minutes.
• Add in the minced garlic (4 cloves), turmeric powder (1½ tsp), and finely chopped rosemary and thyme (3 sprigs each). Use a zester or grater to grate the ginger (1 inch piece) directly into the pot. Stir until fragrant 1-2 minutes.

Bring the soup together

• Add in 6 cups of chicken bone broth, turn heat up to medium high, and mix well. Bring the soup to a slow boil.
• Stir in the dried orzo pasta (⅔ cup). Reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Be sure to occasionally stir soup to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• If you haven't done so already, while the orzo is cooking, shred your rotisserie chicken.
• When orzo is cooked to your preferred doneness, add the shredded chicken, lemon juice (1 tbsp), and green peas (1 cup). Stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is not brothy enough add the remaining 2 cups of bone broth.
• Serve and enjoy!