Chicken-Orzo Soup

I have a sick toddler at home right now, so this weekend I took a stab at creating my own version of chicken noodle soup. I used whole-wheat orzo pasta for easy scooping (I hate it when the noodles are so long they fall off of the spoon), and added several vegetables I had in the fridge, including a big bunch of Greenling arugula – an unusual choice, but it blended right in, and it never hurts to work in extra veggies.

I like a high stuff-to-broth ratio in my soup, so this one is pretty thick. Feel free to add more liquid if you like your soup more brothy.

Chicken-Orzo Soup

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (about half a large onion)
1 carrot, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bunch arugula leaves, chopped
1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (or 2-3 smaller sweet peppers, like banana)
1 tsp dried sage
1 cup whole-wheat orzo
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat in large Dutch oven. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes, until the pieces start to brown. Add veggies and sage and cook another 10 minutes or so, until the veggies start to tenderize.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, return to a boil, and cook 8-10 minutes, until orzo is tender.

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Orzo Salad with Chicken and Veggies

I love orzo salads for many reasons. For one, they are easy to make — just cook the pasta, chop the ingredients, mix, and you are done. They taste good warm, cold, or at room temperature. Also the leftovers keep well for a day or two. This one combines a mix of veggies with whole-wheat orzo and a white wine vinaigrette, and it’s highly customizable so you can cater to the likes/dislikes of your family.

Orzo Salad with Chicken and Veggies

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
5 oz cooked chopped chicken (rotisserie is good, or some of those frozen, pre-cooked chicken breast strips)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped spring onion (or red onion)
1/2 cup chopped chard
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1.5 tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil

Cook orzo in boiling, salted water until tender, 8-10 minutes.  Combine all ingredients through basil and stir well. Add salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil, and toss until well combined.

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The kid who hates chicken nuggets [recipe: smoky chickpea soup]

Hilary reminded me today that I haven’t talked much about Ryan lately here. So I’m going to tell you what happened this week when I pulled out a pint of strawberries and offered him one.

He ate it quickly, then asked for more. He then ate another one. And another. And soon, in one sitting, he had eaten an entire pint of strawberries and then started crying when I told him that he’d eaten all the strawberries in the house. Yeah. If you remember, Ryan is not yet two.

Now, yesterday I made chicken nuggets. I’d never even made them at home until last night, when I came across a recipe for chicken nuggets breaded with almond meal instead of breadcrumbs that sounded interesting. They tasted just like regular chicken nuggets, but did Ryan want them? Of course not.

An entire pint of strawberries in one sitting? No problem. But a toddler finger-food staple? Just one bite? Well, that’s just ridiculous.

Tonight we resorted to bribery. It went like this:

Us: “Ryan, if you eat your chicken you can have some cake!”
Ryan: “No!”

Us: “Ryan, if you eat your chicken you can have your orange!”
Ryan: “No!”

And so on. It did not work. So tomorrow night, I’m going to serve this soup and hope for better results. If kiddie-style chicken’s not cutting it, we’ll just go with a more adult chicken dish and see what happens.

There’s much to love about this soup. Inspired by several veggies I needed to use, it’s stuffed with vegetables, chickpeas, and chicken, and gets a wonderful smoky flavor from smoked paprika. It also comes together quickly on a weeknight. It would taste great without the chicken and with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.

Smoky Chickpea Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tsp)
1 bunch spring onion bulbs, thinly sliced (reserve the tops for garnish)
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
2 cups finely chopped kale
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 cooked chicken breasts, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
1 15-oz can chickpeas
1 15-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, until onions soften. Add remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until greens or softened. Garnish with chopped spring onion tops. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the rich broth.

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This week’s menu (March 22-26)

I figured I’d go ahead and post my local box meal plans here in addition to the Greenling blog. The recipes are still great even if you don’t get a local box. 🙂

Lots of tasty greens coming in this week. We are getting:

• Bok choy from Naegelin
• Swiss chard from Acadian
• Red lettuce from Acadian
• Green onions from Acadian
• Rosemary or sorrel from Pure Luck
• Grapefruit and limes from G&S
• Beets from My Father’s Farm
• Russian kale from TX Natural
• Endive from Acadian
• Spinach from My Father’s Farm
• Leeks

So I am making:

• Green jade soup
• Mashed potato cakes with onions and kale
• Quick chicken saute with walnuts, curly endive, and orange pan sauce
• Swiss chard with beets, goat cheese, and raisins
• Red lettuce salad with citrus vinaigrette (subbing limes for lemons)
• If I get sorrel: Tomato bisque with sorrel (really quick, easy recipe)
• If I get rosemary: Rosemary bread and rosemary pork tenderloin

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