Description
Mediterranean comfort shines through this chicken orzo soup, bringing warmth and nourishment to your table. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, offering you a delicious journey through classic Greek culinary traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups cooked and diced chicken (from about 1 rotisserie chicken)
- 2 (32-oz) cartons low-sodium chicken broth (8 cups / 2.4 L)
- 0.75 cup (190 ml) dried orzo pasta
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs
- 0.5 head escarole
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 0.5 lemon), plus more as needed
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Uniformly chop onion, fennel, and garlic into fine, consistent pieces to promote even flavor infusion and cooking.
- Sautéing Aromatics: Warm extra-virgin olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, adding chopped vegetables and seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper. Sauté until ingredients become translucent and release their aromatic essence, roughly 6-8 minutes.
- Liquid Foundation: Stream chicken broth into the pot, elevating heat to generate a vigorous boil. Introduce rotisserie chicken and orzo pasta, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until orzo achieves perfect al dente consistency, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Leafy Integration: Transform escarole into delicate ribbons and cascade into the simmering liquid alongside freshly pressed lemon juice. Allow ingredients to meld for 2-3 minutes, ensuring escarole wilts gracefully while maintaining its vibrant green character.
- Flavor Refinement: Conduct a final taste assessment, calibrating seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice to harmonize the soup’s complex flavor profile.
- Serving: Elegantly ladle the steaming soup into pre-warmed bowls, guaranteeing each portion showcases a balanced symphony of chicken, pasta, and vegetables.
Notes
- Prep Precisely: Cut vegetables uniformly to guarantee consistent cooking and balanced flavor in every spoonful.
- Sauté Strategically: Cook vegetables until translucent and aromatic to develop a rich, deep flavor foundation for the soup.
- Choose Chicken Wisely: Use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for convenience and enhanced taste, saving time without compromising quality.
- Finish Thoughtfully: Taste and adjust seasoning at the end, adding salt or lemon juice to brighten and balance the soup’s overall flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg