Description
Creamy chicken orzo soup is a stick to your ribs kind of soup that's hearty enough for a dinner on a cold winter's night and easy enough to make for a quick weekend lunch. This creamy chicken soup is thick and delicious and it's filled with one of my favorite fast ingredients: leftover roast chicken!
Ingredients
Units
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- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 small or 1 large onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 to 3 tsp)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or plain yogurt
- Finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a stockpot or large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and good pinch of salt and pepper, and saute while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the flour and stir frequently for 1 ½ to 2 minutes (this will help to flavor the soup and thicken it as well). The flour should turn golden brown. Slowly whisk in the broth until smooth.
- Increase the heat to high, bring the soup to a boil, and stir in the orzo. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Mix in the cooked chicken, lemon juice, and heavy cream and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, just until the chicken is warmed through. Serve while still hot with a sprinkle of parsley over the top.
