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This homemade chicken vegetable soup with orzo is the food equivalent of a hug from a beloved family member. Warm, comforting, cosy and reassuring. Not to mention packed with nourishing ingredients. As the season is turning, it is exactly what we all need right now. On the table in 40 minutes, open those arms out wide!
I think I might be a secret soup addict! I love the versatility and the opportunity for creativity that soup making offers. For a more meaty but equally fortifying soup, I adore this smoky and tomato-based stuffed pepper soup recipe.
Homemade chicken soup
It’s no secret that chicken soup is good for you. But did you know how easy it is to make? No, you don’t need to boil chicken bones for hours to make the broth!
However, if you want to give it a go, try my simple 30-minute recipe with this homemade chicken noodle soup. You’ll taste the difference.
Alternatively, a simple stock carton or even stock pot or cube, will do as a base. Plenty of flavour comes from the sofrito and chicken thighs anyway.
Next load with your favourite vegetables, and I’ve included This is an affiliate link.orzo too, and in 40 minutes you have a hand-crocheted blanket around your shoulders and a hug in a bowl.
Thanks to its everyday, easy-to-access ingredients, chicken and vegetable soup is a cold-season lifesaver!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Leeks need a thorough wash. Dirt gets trapped between the layers, so I tend to trim, wash, slice, wash.
- Habitual soup-makers, like me, will know the importance of a long leek, carrot and celery sauté. About 5-7 minutes will infuse the butter with the earthy vegetable flavours and that is fundamental to your soup.
- I’m a thigh gal, myself. I mostly use chicken thighs as I find them the most tasty and tender part of the bird. For this chicken and vegetable soup I use skinless and boneless thighs, but if you are more of a breast person- each to their own!
- You can make this chicken orzo soup gluten free by using rice. I love it with wild rice, it feels even more wholesome! But any long grain will do.
- Aside from the sacred trio: leeks, carrots and celery, you can use whatever vegetables you prefer or have to hand. Soup is a great way to use up any withering odds and ends.
- I will always include at least one green vegetable! In this recipe, it’s the humble pea. Add them last and cook for no longer than 7 minutes, so they maintain their vibrancy.
Substitutions and variations
This may be a recipe for chicken soup, but it is easily adaptable to a vegetarian diet. Use a vegetable stock in place of chicken stock and skip the chicken.
If you don’t want to miss out on the protein portion, substitute the orzo for lentils or beans. Borlotti beans are creamy, nutty and sweet and would be my choice (or take a look at my Chicken and Bean Soup)!
Crammed with vegetables, there is so much room for variety. You could never make the same soup twice!
In this one, I’ve used sweet potatoes, peas and kale; one starchy, one pretty and one leafy. That’s a fairly good rule of thumb to go by if you want to mix it up.
If you’re feeling decadent and want a richly creamy chicken soup, go ahead and give in to the craving. Add 125ml / ½ a cup of heavy (US) or double cream (UK) at the very end.
Serving suggestions
Chicken vegetable soup with orzo pasta is a filling meal in itself. But a bit of bread never goes amiss! Here are my faves to go with this particular soup:
- rye bread: dense, fragrant, slightly sweet due to the malt and molasses content, and a little sour due to the rye.
- farmhouse bread: the epitome of an honest white loaf, and this no-knead recipe gives a pleasing crust with a slight chew.
- rosemary and spelt bread: the wholesome spelt grain is nutty while the aromatic rosemary brings out the herbs in the soup.
Storage and leftovers
Known for its nourishing properties, I always have an emergency chicken soup stash in my freezer. When I’m feeling too ill to cook, I am so grateful that I planned ahead.
For the homemade chicken soup to be at its best, I thaw mine before heating on the hob. If I feel a cold coming on, or notice my kids getting snuffly, that’s my cue to take it out the freezer and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. If that’s just not possible, you can microwave the frozen soup too.
It’s best to freeze soup on the day it’s made, just make sure it’s cooled right down first.
Other soup recipes to try
- Beef Cabbage Soup
- Chicken Meatball Soup with Tortellini
- Cauliflower Cheese Soup
- Lentil and Bacon Soup
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 leek, white part only
- 1 celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1½-2 litres / 6-8 cups This is an affiliate link.chicken stock, depending on preference of thickness
- 2 This is an affiliate link.bay leaves
- 1 tsp soup seasoning mix (your choice), or all purpose seasoning such as Mrs Dash or Vegeta
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless boneless
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 160g / 1 cup green peas
- kale, hard stems removed and leaves sliced
- 60g / 1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.orzo
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot over low heat, then add the sliced leeks, diced carrot and diced celery, sauté for 5-7 minutes until slightly softened, add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds longer. Top the vegetable mixture with the chicken thighs, bay leaves and the soup seasoning mix, pour the chicken stock over it and turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered with a lid over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes, orzo and kale and continue cooking for 10 minutes longer. Then add the green peas and take the chicken thighs out. Shred the chicken with two forks and add it back to the pot, warm though for 5 minutes, then season with additional salt and pepper to taste and take off the heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is an example of soup seasoning mix?
You can often find either an all purpose seasoning mix like Mrs Dash or the ones made specifically for soups. They are usually a combination of dehydrated vegetables and dried spices. I like the one by Vegeta or Knorr, which could be found in the UK.