Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup

Creamy chicken orzo soup. This soup is very straightforward, silky and thick, with a subtle fragrance of herbs plus a nice hit of lemon. It’s super comforting and satisfying, yet light-tasting at the same time. But what really seals the deal is that the whole thing is made in one pot and tastes like can’t-stop-eating-delicious.

To make it, we cook down onion and garlic together with salt and herbs, this way the soup will taste extra flavorful and well-seasoned. So much better than just throwing the the herbs into the broth.

Then we add in carrots and chicken, pour in broth, and bring to a boil. Hang out or drink a coffee for 15 minutes, then transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Add orzo and cream to the broth, squeeze in some lemon juice and let the pasta cook for 10 minutes. In the meantime, we shred the chicken. Then, stir our chicken back in, add a lot of spinach, and crack some fresh pepper on top. That’s it. This recipe is sure to become a favorite you’ll make over and over again.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

This recipe is super versatile, make it your own!

• if you want a ‘brothier’ soup, you can cook the orzo in a separate pot and add it to the soup when you stir in the chicken 
• instead of spinach, you can add veggies like cauliflower, broccoli rabe, escarole, kale or corn kernels
• if you plan to make a batch of this soup beforehand, don’t add the orzo or the heavy cream yet, add it right before you’re planning to serve the soup
• you can use rotisserie chicken and skip the 15 minute cooking of the chicken
• when you reheat the leftovers, the orzo will thicken creating a delicious, creamy risotto-style pasta
• instead of orzo, you can use rice if you want to, or other pasta shapes like egg noodles, cavatelli or alphabet noodles

Try These Next

• White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese
• Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage
• Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage

Recipe Video

 

Yield: serves 4

Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• spices: 1 tsp each: salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole chicken breast fillets (about 450 g/1 pound)
• 1.2 L/5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 350 ml/1 ½ cup cream 20% fat
• 180 g/6 oz orzo
• 80 g/3 oz spinach
• freshly ground black pepper, for serving
• crushed red pepper flakes, for serving

Instructions

1. Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic, finely chop the onion, peel and thinly slice the carrots.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes, until soft. Stir in spices, cook until fragrant, for 1 minute. Add in carrots and the chicken fillets.
3. Pour in broth, add soy sauce and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. When ready, remove the chicken fillets and place onto a clean plate. Add cream, lemon juice and orzo. Stir, cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente.
5. In the meantime, shred the chicken using two forks. Hold a fork in each hand, and use them to pull the meat apart. 
6. When ready, return chicken to the pot. Add spinach, stir and simmer for 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Taste, and adjust salt. Finish off with freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Serve!

Notes

Calories Per Serving: 529 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know! Leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram and don’t forget to tag me with @anna_s_table or #servingdumplings I’d love to see what you’re making. Happy cooking!

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