Golden Chicken Orzo Soup
Published 1/21/2024
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Say hello to the most nourishing chicken orzo soup you’ve ever seen. Made with golden turmeric, chicken breasts, tons of veggies, and fresh herbs, this is everything you’ve ever wanted in a soup!
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Pacific Foods. We were compensated and all opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting Fit Foodie Finds!
Tis the season for nourishing soups! And let me tell you, this golden chicken orzo soup is the perfect recipe to make when you want to soothe your soul, or better yet, to make for a friend when they’re not feeling well. You’ll absolutely love the comforting flavors in this soup, and it all starts with a base of Pacific Foods organic free-range chicken broth.
What is in this Golden Chicken Orzo Soup
- Broth: we’re using a whopping 8 cups of Pacific Foods chicken broth that provides a nourishing base for this chicken orzo soup.
- Spices: You’ll use a flavorful combination of ground turmeric, ground-dried ginger, sea salt, and ground cumin. Pair that with freshly grated ginger, whole garlic cloves and a stalk of fresh lemongrass.
- Chicken: we’re using boneless skinless chicken breast that gets completely coated in the spice mixture for ultimate flavor, and then cooks right in the pot before shredding it when you’re ready to serve.
- Veggies: white onion, carrots, celery, sweet potato and kale make for a flavorful and nutrient dense combination of vegetables.
- Pasta: instead of a traditional noodle in this chicken soup, we’re using orzo, which cooks right in the pot and absorbs all the amazing flavors of this soup.
- Lemon juice: we recommend using fresh lemon juice to add a bright finish to this soup.
Substitutes & Variations
Chicken broth: Pacific Foods also makes a delicious chicken bone broth that would taste delicious in this soup.
Orzo: you can swap the orzo out for white quinoa or pearl couscous.
Chicken breast: if you’re more of a chicken thigh kind of person, feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Fresh lemongrass and ginger: you’re more than welcome to swap out the fresh lemongrass and ginger for squeeze lemongrass and ginger.
Kale: swap the kale for fresh spinach.
FAQs
In this recipe, you do NOT need to precook your pasta. So, can I put dry orzo right in the pot? YES! Orzo cooks rather quickly and after you put the dry pasta in it will only take 7-10 minutes to cook.
Feel free to add a little spice to this soup by adding ⅛-½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a tablespoon or two of hot sauce.
The orzo will continue to absorb the broth as the soup sits, so we recommend adding chicken broth when reheating to retain a soupy thickness without thinning out flavor with water.
Storage
Before refrigerating, make sure to let your soup cool. Then, transfer it into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat: When you’re ready to reheat, we found that it will likely be necessary to add more broth. The orzo will suck up all of that yummy yummy golden broth, so just add in a splash or so per serving. Reheat on the stovetop or medium heat until hot.
Tutorial
How to Freeze Soup & Chili
Learn how to freeze soup and chili with this easy How to Freeze Soup tutorial. We’ll share all of our tips and tricks to perfect freezer soup.
Serving Suggestions
We loved eating this soup with a fresh piece of bakery sourdough and butter. You can also serve it with toast, cornbread, or croutons.
Golden Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, separated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, ~3 large chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons Ghee, butter, or olive oil
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 2 cups cubed sweet potato, peeled
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in half lengthwise and pounded
- 8 cups Pacific Foods unsalted chicken broth, +2 cups, if needed
- 1.5 cups uncooked orzo
- 3 cups chopped kale
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the turmeric, ginger, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and cumin to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Season the chicken on both sides with the spice mixture. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat the ghee in a large stock pot over medium/high heat. When the ghee is melted, add the chicken. Sear the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot.
- Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of the chicken broth. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the of the pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and sweet potato to the pot and toss. Season with the remaining salt and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and lemon grass and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and add 7.5 cups of broth to the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Add the orzo, stir, and turn the heat to medium heat. Allow the orzo to cook and thicken the soup for 7-10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Remove from heat.
- When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF, remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Transfer it back to the soup and stir to combine.
- Remove the lemongrass stalk. Add the lemon juice and kale. Stir to combine. The heat of the broth should wilt the kale.
- If the orzo has absorbed a lot of the broth, there’s an option to add 2 more cups of chicken broth to make it more soupy. Heat over medium heat.
- Garnish with fresh lemons and chopped parsley. Enjoy immediately.
Tips & Notes
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts. If you like a thicker soup, feel free to keep the soup thick. Otherwise, adding more broth will make it more soup-like. If you store the soup in the fridge, the orzo will continue to absorb the broth.
- When you reheat the soup, just add liquid to the soup and heat over medium heat.
- We used fresh lemongrass, but you can also use squeezed lemongrass. We recommend using 3 teaspoons.
- We used fresh ginger, but you can use squeezed ginger. We recommend using 1 tablespoon.
- Feel free to add a little spice to this soup by adding ⅛-½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a tablespoon or two of hot sauce.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
I love when my wife makes this recipe. And you know I really love it when I leave the review after she tells me to. Delicious!
My kids decided to bring home god knows what from daycare, so my husband and I are enjoying this for dinner. SO good! I did 9x the garlic, turmeric, and ginger just because we’re REALLY hurting and it was still amazing.
I added 1 cup of coconut milk at the end instead of more broth. Turned out great!
This soup is as delicious as it looks and sounds. I will make this again and again.
This soup is delicious! If you’re looking for ways to warm yourself up on a cold day, this hearty soup with subtle flavors and spices is indeed a great choice. I added a small amount of chili oil and flakes to add even a little more heat and spiciness. This soup improves in flavor over time, making it a delightful option for leftovers. Thanks, FFF team for another culinary hit
Loved this one! Perfect winter meal. Thanks for the great recipe FFF squad.