Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup

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Happy Fall y’all! It is getting chilly here and finally starting to feel like sweater weather, which in our family, also translates to soup season. I love this take on chicken noodle soup. The orzo and cream really amp this soup up. My husband doesn’t usually like chicken noodle soup but loves this recipe.

This recipe calls for a lot of garlic, if you are not so much into garlic you can tone it down but I don’t think it is over powering here. Also, I like to add a couple handfuls of spinach to a lot of my soup recipes to give them some color, texture, and extra nutrition. Feel free to mix it up and add your favorite leafy green such as chard or kale in substitution for baby spinach.

After such a busy summer, it feels nice to come back to the city with a cold breeze and a big bowl of warm soup. I can’t wait to share with you more of my favorite soup recipes. Until then, I hope you enjoy this warm bowl of goodness.

If you try this recipe and love it, snap a pic and share it with us on Instagram and Facebook and follow our Pinterest page. Enjoy!

You will need a dutch oven or large stock pot

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Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 head of garlic (about 12 cloves)

• 1 medium yellow onion, minced

• 2 stalks of celery, minced

• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced about one half inch thick

• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 cups chicken broth

• ¾ cup half and half or heavy cream

• ¾ cup uncooked orzo

• 1 lb chicken beast, cut into ½ inch pieces

• 6 oz fresh baby spinach

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Begin by heating olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat

2. Stir in garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant

3. Add in onion, carrot, and celery. Stir to combine and cook for about 5 minutes

4. Stir in chopped thyme and bay leaves until fragrant

5. Add in chicken broth and half and half and bring to a boil

6. Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes

7. Add in chicken breast and cook for additional 3 minutes

8. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and stir in baby spinach until wilted

9. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 6-8