Signature Dish of the Day: Chicken Orzo Soup
Signature Dish of the Day: Happy new week everyone...kicking off the week with this beautiful, heart-warming, and irresistibly delicious Chicken Orzo Soup as our signature dish of the day today! This soup is a true comfort food and brings so much needed warmth particularly on those unbearably cold winter nights. It is truly and unmistakably the bona fide chicken soup that warms the soul. I developed this recipe as a different take on my chicken noodle soup and it has in fact now become my absolute favorite version of the dish 😍. I found orzo pasta to be the perfect "noodle" component as it does not soak up too much of the soup unlike other types of pasta/noodles and therefore does not overpower the overall dish.
To prepare this bright and delicious soup, I first cut up a batch of thin chicken tenders into smaller, bite-sized pieces and lightly seared them in a large pot for about 10 minutes until all the natural water they contained had been fully absorbed. I then poured in about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and added a blend of diced red onions, tomatoes, and red peppers to the mix. Thereafter, I seasoned the mixture with some ground black pepper, dried oregano, smoked paprika, turmeric, and cumin. After stirring thoroughly to blend the ingredients together, I poured in about 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots as well as 2 tablespoons of strained tomatoes and 2 cups of cold water, and let this base stew cook for about 5 more minutes to facilitate the development of more concentrated flavors. I then added in about 1 cup of uncooked orzo pasta as well as 1 more cup of cold water, seasoned with some salt to taste, and covered the pot. I let this cook for about 12 minutes, checking and stirring from time to time to ensure the orzo did not stick to the bottom of the pot. I additionally garnished the soup with some dry parsley and basil flakes about 3 minutes before I removed the pot from the stove. Once done, I served this hearty soup hot as a main dinner dish. I guarantee that you simply cannot go wrong with this simple yet delectable dish...it requires very little effort but rewards you with tons of flavor and a truly fulfilling and wholesome meal. Give it a try sometime and let us know how it goes. Enjoy! 😋💖
