This chicken and orzo soup is amazing and perfect for a cold winter night. Now that winter has arrived, Scott and I plan on staying on the boat a few winter nights to see if we like it. There’s something romantic and cozy about bundling up on a cold night and making homemade soup.
Everyone loves homemade chicken soup, but it can also take a few hours to make (if you are making your own broth). The best part about this chicken orzo and kale soup, is that it’s not only tasty, but it takes just a few minutes to make. That makes for the perfect soup recipe on a boat, when you don’t have a lot of time or space.
One great thing about this chicken & orzo kale soup recipe, is that you can alter it however you wish. Don’t like kale? Use spinach. Don’t like orzo? Use cooked wild rice. The most important thing to remember, is to have your favorite blanket and a movie ready for after dinner. Enjoy!
In a Dutch oven or large stock pot heat oil and saute carrots for 2 minutes. Add celery and yellow onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add bay leaf, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken, orzo, crushed red pepper and curly kale. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty warm bread.
Italian vegetable noodle soup is one of my all time favorite soups. I’m one of the strange people who love soup all year round. Scott only likes it in cold weather and I was glad that the nights are finally getting cooler so I could make up a big pot of goodness.
Most soups require an all day simmer and lots of salt. Luckily, this soup is very easy and super flavorful. In fact, you can add your own favorite ingredients and it would be just as good. It’s also really easy to prepare on a boat, with only two pots.
This soup would also pair great with our Antipasto Chicken Salad recipe for a heartier meal.
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until tender. See my note below about my vegetable chopper.
Chop the European bacon and add to the pot. Again, you can find European bacon in the butcher section - it's a bit more smokey than regular bacon. If you can't find that, you can use pancetta or bacon, just make sure they are thick sliced. Cook bacon for about 5-7 minutes until slightly crispy. Season with salt and pepper.
Add diced tomatoes, thyme, summer savory, oregano and kale. I buy bags of chopped kale, but be sure to pick through the kale and remove any stems. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
Add kidney beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 35 minutes. Add cooked ditalini pasta and simmer for 2 minutes. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
As I have mentioned in most of my recipe blogs, I love our Onion Chopper Pro Vegetable Chopper, especially on our boat. No mess, easy cleanup and super easy to use!
White chili, also known as Chicken Chili is a favorite in our house. Now that Fall & Winter is arriving, who doesn’t love chili especially when watching your favorite football team? Chili is actually very easy to make on a boat in a small galley and it keeps for a few days for great leftovers.
While I love traditional chili, there’s something about Chicken Chili that is just as tasty and makes me feel like I’m eating healthier! Happy cooking!
In a large pot, heat canola oil and add onion & jalapeno. Cook until tender under medium high heat. Add diced garlic and all of the spices and cook for about 2 minutes (do not let the garlic burn). Add 1/2 of the white kidney beans and smash them in the pot. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add corn, chicken, remaining white kidney beans and pinto beans. Simmer for about 25 minutes. If you want it thicker, add 1 tbsp. of water to the corn starch and mix thoroughly. Add to the chili, stirring to keep it from clumping.
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro & crushed tortilla chips.
Recipe Notes
Since I don't like chopping onions & other veggies, especially on a boat, I use my Onion Chopper by Müeller . It works great, collects the onion in the bin (no mess and no tears) and the clean up is easy!
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, especially on our boat. No mess, easy cleanup and super easy to use!
