INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 2 medium carrots – peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery – diced
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 8 cups good-quality chicken stock
- 2 cups chopped herb roasted chicken – https://everpresentmama.com//dinner-recipes/herb-roasted-chicken/
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 cup dried orzo pasta
- optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or large stove pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock, chicken, bay leaves, rosemary, salt, thyme, and black pepper, and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a simmer and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Stir in the orzo. Continue cooking the soup over a simmer until the orzo reach al dente (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
*Note – The longer the soup sits, the more the pasta will continue to soak up the broth. You may need to add more chicken broth to thin out the soup.