A Quick and Easy One-Pot Soup for Busy Weeks

I am a BIG rotisserie chicken lover, especially when it comes to making quick weeknight soups like this creamy chicken and orzo one. It’s such a time saver and the chicken is inexpensive and always super flavorful.

(If you’ve made my white chicken chili, chicken tortellini soup, or chicken and dumping soup, they all use shredded rotisserie chicken for ease!)

If you’re looking for a warming, stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup, this creamy chicken orzo soup is absolutely perfect. It’s loaded with tons of chicken, carrots, onions, celery, fresh herbs, and orzo in a creamy broth that is so, so good.

Tools Needed

• 4 qt Dutch Oven
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Soup Storage Cubes

The Main Ingredients (+ Substitutes)

• Chicken. For ease, I use shredded rotisserie chicken with a mix of white and dark meat. You could also poach or roast your own chicken to shred. (Or, make a batch of orzo soup using a whole chicken!).
• Veggies. The classic onion, carrot, celery is my go-to here.
• Flour + butter. To keep the orzo and chicken suspended in the soup, I start with a roux which is a mix of flour and butter. It gives the soup a velvety texture.
• Chicken broth. I always use homemade, but feel free to use your favorite store bought brand as well.
• Orzo. Also known as risoni, is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. Any brand of dried orzo works!
• Heavy cream. I add a bit of heavy creamy towards the end of cooking to make this soup extra rich.
• Herbs. I love a mix of dill, tarragon, and parsley for finishing this soup. The herbs add fresh flavor and a punch of brightness.

An Overview of How This Soup Is Made

1. Sauté the veggies. You want the diced onion, carrot, and celery to soften in the melted butter. It’s okay if they don’t develop tons of color at this stage. Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed veggies cook for 3-4 minutes to remove any raw flour taste.
2. Add the warm broth. Add the warmed broth to the pot 1 cup at a time, then add the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the orzo. Orzo pasta takes 10 to 12 minutes to reach al dente perfection. It tends to stick to the bottom of the pot, so stir the soup periodically to prevent this from happening!
4. Add the fresh herbs and heavy cream. Let the cream sit in the hot soup for a minute or two to heat up, then serve.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

As with any soup that has pasta or noodles in it, the orzo pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits in the fridge. That’s not a problem, but it does make the soup much thicker and it’s something to keep in mind when storing your soup.

If you plan to make a batch to eat throughout the week, I recommend cooking and storing the orzo separately and adding it to the soup as you plan to eat it.

Otherwise, let the soup cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. For best results, reheat the soup in a small pot, adding liquid as needed to thin the soup out.

Sides to Serve with This Soup

While this creamy chicken soup with orzo pasta is a meal in itself, I find myself being a real soup and salad girl! I love the combination of something fresh and crunchy with a hearty and comforting counterpart.

Some of my favorite salads to serve alongside this creamy chicken orzo soup are:

• Loaded Wedge Salad
• Crunchy Italian Chopped Salad
• Kale Caesar Salad

And don’t forget to serve some warm bread on the side for dipping, like my overnight sourdough or my fluffy brioche dinner rolls.

More Chicken Soup Recipes to Try

• Chicken Curry Noodle Soup
• Thai Basil Chicken Wonton Soup
• Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Dill Chicken Noodle Soup