Creamy Chicken Florentine with Orzo (Printable)
Silky chicken and orzo broth with spinach, herbs, and Parmesan for a warm, satisfying weeknight meal.
# What You Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
→ Starches
08 - 3/4 cup (about 4 oz) orzo pasta, uncooked
→ Liquids
09 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
→ Seasonings
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
→ Garnishes
16 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Add shredded chicken and uncooked orzo; mix well to combine.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is nearly tender.
05 - Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
06 - Reduce heat to low and stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream. Simmer gently without boiling for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup is creamy and heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy broth tastes like it took all day but barely asks forty minutes of your attention.
- It freezes beautifully if you hold the cream and add it when reheating, which makes it a meal prep dream.
- Even picky eaters seem to forget they are eating spinach when it is swimming in parmesan laced cream.
02 -
- Never boil the soup after adding cream or it will separate and look grainy instead of silky.
- Orzo continues to absorb liquid as it sits so the soup will thicken considerably overnight, and you may need to splash in broth when reheating.
03 -
- Cook the orzo separately and add it to each bowl if you plan to freeze portions, otherwise the pasta turns to mush.
- That tiny amount of nutmeg seems optional but skip it once and you will notice the soup tastes flatter without it.