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Chicken Orzo Soup

(recipe, Zanne Miller)

Ingredients

  1. 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  2. 3 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 1 yellow onion, diced
  4. 2 carrots, cut into ⅛-inch slices
  5. 2 celery stalks, cut into ⅛-inch slices
  6. 1 to 2 sprigs each of rosemary and marjoram, leaves removed, stems discarded
  7. ½ lb. boneless chicken breast, cubed
  8. 1 qt. (32 ounces) chicken broth
  9. 12 oz. orzo pasta
  10. Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

  1. Put the olive oil in a large (at least 4 quarts) stock pot. Over medium heat, sauté the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and herbs until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat while finishing chicken.
  2. Meanwhile, put the cubed chicken in a separate saucepan and cover it with water. Heat to boiling. Strain off the fat, then add the remaining liquid and the chicken to the vegetables.
  3. Add the chicken broth to the soup pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Put the orzo in a small wire-mesh strainer and submerge the pasta in the simmering soup. (This keeps the orzo from becoming too soggy if you end up having leftovers. If you don’t have a strainer, cook the pasta separately.)
  5. Divide the orzo pasta between four serving bowls. Season the soup to taste, then ladle the soup over the pasta and serve hot.

Note

Variation: Replace the orzo pasta with Simple Rosemary Dumplings.