Chicken and Orzo Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

Whenever you’re craving chicken noodle soup but want to switch things up a bit, Chicken and Orzo Soup is there. With the use of leftover rotisserie chicken, you can easily turn these scraps into a pot of soup simmering with delicious herbs. We also take inspiration from Rachael Ray to make sure it’s simple to make but carries big flavor.

What is Orzo?

This noodle comes from a mix of durum wheat semolina flour and water. Whether it’s in soup or pasta dishes, orzo finds its place as an accompaniment with its small, long shape that’s almost like rice. You can use orzo almost as if it’s risotto, surrounding it with a broth that it can absorb the flavor of. In our Chicken and Orzo Soup, feel free to switch things up with other tiny pasta types like pastina or stelline that have small star shapes.

Chicken and Orzo Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

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• Author: Mark Chutko, Adapted from Rachael Ray

Print Recipe

Description

Deeply rich and flavorful soup adapted from Rachael Ray to feature rotisserie chicken.

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Ingredients

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• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, halved (cremini or button work well)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ⅔ cup orzo pasta
• 2 cups arugula, chopped
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dill for garnish
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for topping

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Instructions

1. First, you’ll want to combine the chicken stock and water in a medium pot. Bring these two to a gentle simmer as you continue with the recipe.
2. Using a large soup pot, add in the extra-virgin olive oil and heat it over a medium-high heat. Stir in the chicken, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, garlic, onion, carrot, and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper as you like then cook covered for 6-7 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. 
3. Next, pour your stock from earlier into the large pot and bring everything to a boil. At this point, you can add the orzo past and cook by your instructions, usually around 8 minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. After the orzo is cooked, you can remove the pot from the heat and then stir in the arugula and basil. To finish things off, add the lemon zest and discard the bay leaf.
5. To enjoy, we recommend a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, and dill on top.

Looking for more ways to use leftover rotisserie chicken? Check out our article for leftover chicken recipes featuring stocks, casseroles, pastas, and more.

Recipe by Mark Chutko, Adapted from Rachael Ray
Photo Courtesy of You Le

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