Chicken Basil Orzo Soup Recipe

Soup’s On!

Any of my friends, family, or coworkers will tell you that I’m kind of a ridiculous fan of soup. I love it! I enjoy making soup at home where I can cozy-up with a warm bowl in the cold of winter. And even on brutally hot summer days when the rest of the world is dining on popsicles, I can be found in the kitchen making soup … and then I have a popsicle for dessert!

The first night I made this bowl of soup I realized I didn’t use nearly enough basil; it just tasted like a pretty classic chicken noodle soup. But the second day when I reheated it, I added in another handful of basil and it totally rocked; it was wonderfully herb-a-licious!

If you’re a fan of chicken soup, grab some fresh basil and give this Home Style Austin recipe a go!

Foodie Tip:

❤  We arm-wrestled over whether this should be called Chicken Basil Orzo Soup or Turkey Basil Orzo Soup. Either way, we all win!

Ingredients: 

1 Teaspoon  |  Olive Oil
1/2  |  Sweet Yellow Onion, Diced
2  |  Carrots, Peeled And Diced
2 Stalks  |  Celery, Diced
3 Cloves  |  Garlic, Minced
8 Cups  |  Good-Quality Chicken Stock
2 Cups  |  Cooked Chicken, Diced Into Bite-Sized Chunks
2  |  Bay Leaves
To Taste  |  Sea Salt And Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
5-6  |  Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
1 Cup  |  Dried Orzo Pasta

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add onion and stir for 1-2 minutes. Then add carrots, celery and garlic then stir for 60 seconds. Stir in chicken stock, diced chicken, and bay leaves, then season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for an hour (or 30 minutes if you’re rushed).

2. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the soup back to a boil. Then add basil and dried orzo pasta and cook per instructions until the pasta is al dente. Taste and re-season with additional salt and pepper (or more basil) if needed. Serve warm.

Yields: 3-4 Servings

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Home Style Austin Orzo Salad Recipe

A Great-Tasting Orzo Salad

If you love orzo short-cut pasta as much as I do, you’ll want to try this Home Style Austin house favorite – you might find it becoming a regular side or main dish at your dinner table.

Foodie Tips:

• You can make this salad ahead of time and let it chill in the refrigerator – perfect to take on-the-go for a picnic or to the office for lunchtime.
• You can also serve it warm and introduce some protein to make it a main course meal; adding chicken or roasted rotisserie chicken makes this dish delicious!
• If you’re shy with raw onion you can eliminate it or reduce it to ¼ cup.
• I added goat cheese to lessen the intensity of the blue cheese flavor (sorry, blue cheese); if you prefer one cheese over the other you can go all the way and use ½ cup of your favorite cheese.
• Don’t have – or can’t get – Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasto? You can substitute 2-4 ounces of marinated artichoke hearts.

Ingredients: 

½ Cup  |  Orzo Pasta (Prepared)
2 -3 Ounces  |  Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasto
1 Medium  |  Tomato, Chopped
½ Cup  |  Celery, Chopped
½ Cup |  Red Onion, Chopped
¼ Cup  |  Crumbled Goat Cheese
¼ Cup  |  Crumbled Blue Cheese
½ Cup |  Black Olives, Chopped
2 Tablespoons  |  Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped (Optional)
1 Tablespoon  |  Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Teaspoon  |  Dry Oregano
½ Teaspoon  |  Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Directions: 

1. Prepare the orzo according to package directions, drain and chill in the refrigerator while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients.

2. When the remaining ingredients are all ready stir them into the orzo and chill 1-2 hours.

Yields: 4-6 servings. Enjoy!

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!