This bright, hearty soup is a quick and easy alternative to chicken noodle, perfect for weeknights when you’re craving something homey. Filled with a mix of veggies, chicken, beans, and orzo, there’s a lot of room in this recipe for improvisation. We break it all down below:
The Broth
We love store-bought chicken broth for convenience, but homemade chicken broth is always superior when it comes to flavor. Either works, as do bouillon cubes prepared according to the packaging, or vegetable broth, or even water. You’ll just have to season a bit more aggressively.
The Veggies
Fennel and onions are a nice combo, but many hearty root vegetables (like parsnips, carrots, or sweet potatoes) are perfect substitutes. Feel free to mix and match. As for leafy greens, any variety that wilts quickly in hot liquid will do: think kale, chard, or spinach. Frozen green peas would also work well.
The Chicken
Pretty much any cut of chicken will do here, with some adjustments to the cook time. Pieces of dark meat and pieces with bones require a longer cook time, but add extra flavor.
The Pasta
It wouldn’t be an orzo soup without orzo, but if you’re looking to use up another small pasta like ditalini or orecchiette, we certainly won’t stop you. In fact… you didn’t hear it from us, but pretty much any pasta would do the trick. Just know that cook times will vary from shape to shape.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add lemon halves cut side down and let cook undisturbed until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside to cool.
- Immediately add oil, fennel and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are beginning to turn golden at the edges, around 12 minutes.
- Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth and water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of your pan.
- Add chicken and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board to cool slightly.
- Bring soup to a boil and add orzo and beans. Boil until orzo is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred chicken using clean hands or 2 forks. When orzo is finished cooking, return shredded chicken to pot and turn off heat. Fold in greens until wilted and squeeze lemon halves into soup (being careful to remove any seeds first). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan.
