You might call this chicken soup, but don’t overlook a key ingredient in this recipe. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta made from semolina flour. When cooked, it imparts a wonderfully creamy texture to soups and pasta dishes.
There are several ways to prepare orzo. You can simply cook it just as you would any other pasta, in generously salted water until al dente. Or you can prepare it much like risotto, gradually adding a cooking liquid, such as chicken stock, while stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. The result is a silky, creamy, risotto-like dish, thanks to the starch released by the orzo as it cooks.
In this easy recipe, orzo imparts a comforting creaminess to a homey chicken soup. And like any good chicken soup, it’s forgiving, welcoming any stray vegetables lingering in the refrigerator, while providing a satisfying way to use leftover chicken from a roast (or a store-bought bird). The addition of orzo will elevate the soup a notch, with its starch infusing the stock with richness and body.
Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood