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Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup

Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup


Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup
I've been a little under the weather for the past few days with a cold that I just can't seem to shake, and all I can seem to think about is soup!

I wanted a soup using the chicken I had in my fridge, but wasn't in the mood for chicken noodle soup.  So today I made this toasted orzo chicken soup.  My version is adapted from this one by Rachel Ray.  I especially love her method of toasting the orzo before adding it to the soup, as it adds a certain depth to the broth that would be absent otherwise.

Like all hand crafted soups, it's wonderfully simple.  Armed with only a handful of ingredients, a big stock pot and a skillet to toast the orzo, you're all set to make your own comfort classic.

If you're not familiar, orzo is a type of pasta shaped like a grain of rice.  One thing I like about using orzo instead of regular egg noodles is that they hold their shape pretty well and don't turn mushy.  They do expand, however, and you may find that you want to add additional broth to the pot just before serving.

List of ingredients





















Click "read more" for the recipe!





Recipe for Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1 32-oz box of chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
1 large carrot, sliced into coins then halved
1 box of orzo
3-5 fresh sage leaves
1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
olive oil

Directions
Saute onions and celery in a large stockpot with olive oil.

Top with chicken breasts, carrots, and broth.  Add whole sage leaves (will remove them later) and a bunch of parsley (set a teaspoon or so aside).

Bring to a low boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes.   Remove chicken to plate and allow to cool.  Keep broth simmering on low.  Now would be a good time to remove the sage added earlier.

Toasted Orzo
Add a little olive oil to a skillet -about 2 times around the pan and heat to medium high.  Add orzo and allow to toast until you have several different deep shades brown going on (see photo).  Set aside.

Once chicken is cooled, pull off hunks of chicken, dicing it if necessary until the pieces are bite sized. Add chicken and toasted orzo to the stockpot and allow it simmer on medium-low for about 15 minutes or until orzo is soft.  If necessary, add some additional broth to make it "soupy enough" for your personal taste.

That's it!   Do remember to top your bowls off with a sprinkle of the reserved parsley for a little boost of color.  

As always, if you've been inspired to try this out, please remember to respond in the comments and let me know what you think.
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