This Chicken and Orzo Soup is easy-to-make, tasty, and a great recipe for whipping up a pot of something comforting without spending hours in the kitchen.

Orzo, rice-shaped pasta, is available in most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, substitute another small-shaped pasta.

I used kale instead of spinach because that’s what I had on hand.

Garnish each serving of soup with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Chicken & Orzo Soup
-recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Weeknight, by Melanie Barnard

Because this simple variation on chicken-noodle soup includes so few ingredients, it is important to use the best chicken broth or stock you can find. Look for high-quality broth in the freezer section of gourmet groceries and well-stocked supermarkets. You can cook the chicken at home or purchase a rotisserie chicken from a supermarket or delicatessen.

1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3-4 carrots, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup orzo, pastina or other small pasta shape
6 oz. baby spinach
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, thyme and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes more. Add the broth, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add the pasta to the simmering soup and cook until the pasta is al dente, 3 to 4 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Add the spinach and chicken and cook, stirring, until the spinach has wilted and the chicken is warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and sprinkle with some of the cheese. Serve immediately and pass the remaining cheese at the table. Serves 4.

Tags: Chicken Noodle Soup, chicken pasta soup, chicken soup, orzo

I woke up with a scratchy throat today (poor me!) so I’m doing everything in my power to fight off the crud: doses of Vitamin C, drinking a honey and cider vinegar elixer (my friend Amy swears by it), and this tasty chicken soup for lunch. 

The recipe calls for smashing 3 whole scallions and slicing the ginger then simmering it in the broth. This helps extract as much flavor as possible from the pieces of scallion and ginger. Next time I may also add a smashed clove of garlic to the simmering mixture for a little extra flavor and to take advantage of garlic’s natural healing  properties. Drizzle each bowl of soup with some sesame oil (a little goes a long way). Enjoy!

Ginger Scallion Egg-Drop Soup
-recipe from Gourmet Magazine

Steeping ginger and scallion greens in the stock and then poaching the chicken in it is a quick way to achieve a depth of flavor. The final soup is enriched with silky ribbons of just–cooked eggs, shreds of tender chicken, and fresh rings of scallion. Best of all, this satisfying soup is easy enough to pull together after work.

Yield: Makes 2 servings (light main course) or 4 servings (first course)
 
6 scallions, divided
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (2-inch) piece peeled ginger, sliced
1 skinless boneless chicken breast half (6 to 8 ounces)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
Accompaniment: Asian sesame oil

Smash 3 scallions and cut into 2-inch pieces, then put in a 2-quart saucepan with water, broth, ginger, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, then poach chicken at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let broth steep, covered, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop remaining 3 scallions and shred chicken.

Discard scallions and ginger from broth and bring to a brisk simmer. Add beaten eggs in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in scallions, chicken, and white pepper (if using). Serve drizzled with sesame oil.

Tags: Asian soup, chicken soup, egg drop soup, ginger, scallion, sesame oil, soup

When it’s cold and blustery outside or I’m feeling under the weather, I want a big, steaming bowl of something like this Pennsylvania Dutch Corn and Chicken Soup. It’s easy to make, and simply flavored with corn, celery and onion. No fancy ingredients…no complicated methods…just good, old-fashioned comfort in a bowl.

Pennsylvania Dutch Corn and Chicken Soup
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

This old-fashioned soup has its roots in the Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen and is fast, easy, and hearty—perfect for a weeknight meal. Gently poaching the chicken breasts in the simmering soup improves their flavor and keeps them tender. Serves 4 to 6.

1 (16-ounce) bag  frozen corn , thawed 
8 cups  low-sodium chicken broth  
1 tablespoon  unsalted butter  
1 onion, chopped 
1 celery rib, sliced thin 
 Salt and pepper  
2 boneless, skinless chicken cutlet  (about 12 ounces), cut into1/2-inch chunks 
3 cups egg noodles (see note) 

Combine 2 cups corn and 2 cups broth in blender and puree until smooth. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, celery, remaining corn, and ½ teaspoon salt until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in remaining broth, chicken, noodles, and pureed corn mixture. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until noodles are tender and chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Test Kitchen Discoveries
•Use frozen corn for convenience. Puree a portion of the corn with some of the chicken broth to thicken and infuse the soup with a deep corn flavor.
•Light ‘n ‘Fluffy Wide Egg Noodles is the test kitchen’s top-rated brand.
•Sauté the vegetables (just onion, corn, and celery) to concentrate their flavors.
•The noodles cook in the broth with the vegetables and chicken—which adds even more flavor.

Tags: celery, chicken soup, corn, egg noodles, Pennsylvania Dutch

This recipe, a twist on traditional chicken noodle soup, features corn, orzo (a rice-shaped pasta) and saffron (the stigma of a Mediterranean crocus flower). Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice by weight, and is popular in Spanish, Indian and Mediterranean cooking. The recipe calls for a “pinch” of saffron which is approximately 1/8 teaspoon (much more than that will overpower the soup). If you don’t like saffron or don’t have any, the soup will still be good without it although it will be missing some of the golden-yellow color and the distinct flavor that saffron gives to food. To make it a heartier soup, add more orzo, chicken and corn.

Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup
-Recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves five to six as a main course.

 2 Tbs. olive oil     
2 large ribs celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
2 cups finely diced or shredded cooked chicken (such as leftover roast chicken)
1/2 cup orzo
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tip: You might wonder why the orzo is cooked separately. There are two reasons. If you boiled the orzo directly in the soup, the starch from the pasta would cloud the soup broth, and the orzo would also suck up too much of the soup broth as it cooked. Boiling the pasta separately solves both of these problems.

Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, saffron, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the chicken and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. While the soup simmers, cook the orzo in the boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the drained orzo, corn, and parsley to the soup and cook just until the corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if needed.

Tags: chicken soup, corn, orzo, Quick Cooking, saffron, Soup/Stew