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Chicken Orzo Soup with Sage and Thyme

Layer a rich stock with sweet onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms scented with sage and thyme. Simmer cuts of chicken, orzo pasta, and fragrant Jasmine rice until each morsel is tender and teaming with flavor. In no time, you’ve got a steaming hot, comforting bowl of soup!
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Soups and Stews
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Large stockpot

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-½ cups thinly sliced sweet onion, about 1 medium onion
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrots, about 2 to 3 carrots
  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery, about 2 stalks
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1-½ teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms, about 6 mushrooms
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¾ cup orzo, divided
  • ½ cup Jasmine rice
  • 7 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breast, sliced thin before cooking
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1-½ to 2 teaspoons concentrated chicken base
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • Fresh chopped parsley for serving

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter with the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery along with the sage and thyme. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Toss in the mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the kosher salt, pepper, ½ cup of the orzo, and the rice. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
  • Pour in 6 cups of stock. Add the chicken, bay leaves, and the concentrated chicken base. Bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Mix the flour with the remaining cup of chicken stock until well blended and pour into the soup along with the remaining ¼ cup of orzo. Raise heat to medium and cook for an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Check for seasoning, adding additional kosher salt and pepper if needed.
  • To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

The rice and pasta will soak up the stock if refrigerated overnight so just add additional chicken stock when reheating.