Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
This Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup is the perfect fall soup! It’s made with tons of veggies, shredded chicken, orzo, and herbs in a creamy broth.
If you love all the flavors of chicken pot pie, creamy chicken orzo soup is the soup for you! It’s made even easier by using rotisserie chicken AND it’s all made in one pot!
Table of Contents
One Pot Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
Day 2 of So Much Food Soup Week brings us this ultra flavorful and comforting creamy chicken and orzo soup! It’s truly a hug of warmth in a bowl–perfect for the cooler fall and winter months.
I am a BIG rotisserie chicken user, especially when it comes to easy weeknight dinners and soups. It’s such a time saver and the chicken is inexpensive and always super flavorful.
If you enjoyed my white chicken chili, chicken tortellini soup, or my chicken and dumping soup–they all use shredded rotisserie chicken for ease!
If you’re looking for a warming, stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup–creamy chicken orzo soup is absolutely perfect. It’s loaded with tons of chicken, carrots, onions, celery, fresh herbs, and orzo in a creamy broth that is so, so good.
For more delicious soup inspiration, check out all my favorite soup recipes.
What is Orzo?
Orzo is one of my favorite ingredients! Orzo, also known as risoni, is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice.
It’s common in mediterranean cooking and you can find it in soups, as part of a salad, in rice pilaf, or even cooked like risotto. It’s such a versatile pasta and makes a great side dish!
For more orzo recipes try my Caprese Orzo Salad, Tomato Orzo, or my Spinach and Feta Orzo.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
As with all my soup recipes, I highly recommend investing in a 4 qt dutch oven! This piece of cookware does all of the heavy lifting in my kitchen and I love it so much. I’ve linked my favorite dutch oven below.
Tools Needed
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken. For ease, I use shredded rotisserie chicken with a mix of white and dark meat. You could also poach or roast your own chicken to shred.
- Veggies. The classic onion, carrot, celery is my go-to here.
- Roux. To keep the orzo and chicken suspended in the soup, I start with a roux which is a mix of flour and butter. It gives the soup a velvety texture.
- Chicken broth. I always use homemade, but feel free to use your favorite store bought brand as well.
- Orzo. Any brand of dried orzo works!
- Heavy cream. I add a bit of heavy creamy towards the end of cooking to make this soup extra rich.
- Herbs. I love a mix of dill, tarragon, and parsley for finishing this soup. The herbs add fresh flavor and a punch of brightness.
The Process
- Saute the veggies. Melt the butter in a 4 qt dutch oven or pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and sautéed veggies and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. This is to cook out any raw flour taste.
- Add the broth. Add the warmed broth to the pot 1 cup at a time, stirring between additions. This helps prevent lumps in the soup. Once all the broth is incorporated, stir in the chicken and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the orzo. Add the orzo to the soup and stir well. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Make sure to stir occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Finish the soup. Once the orzo is cooked, remove the lid and stir in the cream and chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve the creamy chicken orzo soup immediately.
What to Serve with Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
While creamy chicken orzo soup is a meal in itself, I find myself being a real soup and salad girl! I love the combination of something fresh and crunchy with a hearty and comforting counterpart.
Some of my favorite salads to serve alongside this creamy chicken orzo soup are: Loaded Wedge Salad, Crunchy Italian Chopped Salad, Greek Chicken Salad, or my beloved Kale Caesar Salad. All of these combos are winners!
Don’t forget to serve some warm bread on the side for dipping like my no knead focaccia or my fluffy dinner rolls.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
As with any soup that has pasta or noodles in it, the pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits in the fridge. That’s not a problem, but it does make the soup much thicker and it’s something to keep in mind when storing your soup.
If you plan to make a batch to eat throughout the week, I recommend cooking and storing the orzo separately and adding it to the soup as you plan to eat it.
Otherwise, let the soup cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
For best results, reheat the soup in a small pot, adding liquid as needed to thin the soup out.
I’m obsessed with this easy one-pot Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup! It’s a cozy and delicious soup recipe that’s perfect for kicking off cooler weather. If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Soup Recipes to Try
Lasagna Soup
Quick Chicken Pho
Beef Ramen Noodle Soup
Chicken Wonton Soup
Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup
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Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth, warmed
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 3/4 cup dried orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup minced fresh herbs (parsley, dill, tarragon)*
- kosher salt
- white pepper
Instructions
- Saute the veggies. Melt the butter in a 4 qt dutch oven or pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and sautéed veggies and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. This is to cook out any raw flour taste.
- Add the broth. Add the warmed broth to the pot 1 cup at a time, stirring between additions. This helps prevent lumps in the soup. Once all the broth is incorporated, stir in the chicken and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the orzo. Add the orzo to the soup and stir well. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Make sure to stir occasionally so that the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Finish the soup. Once the orzo is cooked, remove the lid and stir in the cream and chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve the creamy chicken orzo soup immediately.
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