Chicken, Basil and Orzo Soup
My daughter woke up with a stomach ache so I decided to make her a pot of homemade chicken and orzo soup for lunch. The soup needed to be nutritious, delicious, and mellow on the tummy. I had leftover chicken from the Roasted Lemon and Basil ChickenI made the other night; I also had some homemade chicken stock (made from the same chicken). I used orzo for the noodles because it’s one of my daughter’s favorites. The broth was delicious, the pasta soft and creamy and the fresh basil topped it off perfectly. This was a nice soup, for a sick child (and the rest of us), on a cloudy day.
How to Make Chicken, Basil, and Orzo Soup:
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced finely
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (chiffonade)
- 6 cups of homemade chicken stock (store-bought is good too) (recipe below)
- 2 cups of roast chicken meat, diced into bite-sized chunks
- 4 oz dried orzo pasta or whatever flavor you like
Chicken Stock:
After making a roasted chicken, I make a delicious stock. I let it simmer for 2-3 hours, strain it, and put it in the refrigerator for the night.
- Chicken remains (remove the skin so it isn’t as fatty)
- Onion, chopped into large chunks
- Celery, chopped into large chunks
- Carrots, chopped into large chunks
- Bay leaf
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Garlic
- Dried basil
- Salt & pepper
Soup:
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add onion and stir for 1-2 minutes; add carrots, celery and garlic then stir for 60 seconds.
Stir in chicken stock, diced chicken, bay leaf, dried basil, and chicken bouillon then season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 1 hour; bring to a boil and add dried orzo pasta and cook per instructions. Taste and re-season if needed. I served with fresh bread and butter. Enjoy!
Great way to use up leftovers. What a good looking soup, I bet that hit the spot!
Pam,
I just came across your blog and am enjoying looking through it! This soup looks very homey and delicious – and you can’t go wrong with orzo, ever!
Oh, poor little mite! I hope she recovers quickly as it looks like our summer weather might actually arrive today and stick around for a couple of days! This soup looks totally comforting. I LOVE soup and the use of orzo here is brilliant! It stays on the spoon! Great idea to use your left over chicken and combine it here. Hope your little one is feeling better.
goodness. this looks yummy and healthy. i might have to make it this week.
mmmm.there is nothing more comforting than chicken soup! I hope your little one feels better!
Thanks for your comment on my Mustart Dill chicken!
I love a good bowl of home-made chicken soup, it’s simply the best! This looks really good, I love the use of the orzo and I never thought of adding fresh basil to chicken soup, great idea. Can I call you next time I’m not feeling well?
i’m always amazed at how a bowl of hot chicken soup can make a sickly person feel so much better. it’s a miracle food, and that’s all there is to it. i hope it worked for your gal. 🙂
an absolute comfort…sous chef was kinda sick…i should’ve made a pot of this goodness
Wow! That is the perfect cure for the ickies! What an awesome mom you are – it is like a hug in a bowl! 🙂
Great looking soup. If I don’t have any leftover chicken how would you recommend preparing fresh chicken for this soup?
Gary,
I would boil a couple of chicken breasts (skinless) with some garlic cloves, onion slices and a bit of salt and pepper for 20 minutes. Let it cool then cut into chunks or shred. Hope that helps – enjoy the soup!
Pam
Mmmmm, that looks so good. I bet your daughter is feeling a whole lot better today. 🙂
Looks absolutely divine.I love basil and orzo together…must try this one. Thanks!
This looks and sounds beautiful, I love chicken broth.
mmmm that looks really yummy.
I think I’m going to have to make that when it cools off outside!