Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup

This Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup with chicken is the ultimate comfort food, because not only is it straightforward, but it also has the most stunning color from the blended veggies.

This soup is for anyone who might be picky about their veggies and loves a smooth texture. We have been blending veggies into our soups and sauces for as long as we can remember so we know you will love it.

We hope that this recipe gives you inspiration and helps your little ones as we know how picky kids can be with veggies. With the busy school/work year, this recipe is in a thermos, and we know kids and adults won’t be able to get enough! Soup is so comforting and cozy, it’s one of our favorite dishes to make.

What stands out

One of our favorite things about this straightforward-to-prepare soup is how healthy it is! Your family will be getting a serving of nutrient-dense veggies in this hearty soup.

We also love how you can make this soup your own. Want to add some spinach? Need to make a lower-sodium version? Have a gluten allergy and need to use a substitute for the orzo? These are all straightforward changes you can make to this simple but soup.

Lastly, we are obsessed with making balanced, one-pot meals, so you better believe that this one fits the bill. Chicken, vegetables, and orzo have all the primary food groups covered and will leave you feeling fuller for longer. Look no further for a flavorful dinner that the whole family can enjoy.

How To Prepare

• In a large pot combine water and vegetable broth. Add the whole peeled and washed vegetables and bring everything to a boil.
• Once boiling, add the chicken. While everything cooks remove any foam that accumulates on the surface with a spoon. Then, season with salt, remembering that you can adjust later as needed.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover with a lid, and let it simmer for 45-60 minutes until the vegetables are soft, the chicken is cooked, and the broth has reduced.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool, then shred or cut the chicken, discarding any bones or skin, and set it aside.
• With a slotted spoon remove the whole vegetables from the pot. Place them in a blender along with two ladles of the clear broth. Blend until smooth, then add this mixture back into the pot.
• Add the orzo to the pot and cook for 7-8 minutes or until it reaches an al-dente texture.
• Incorporate the shredded chicken into the pot and add fresh parsley for a garnish. Stir the soup well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Kitchen tip

Hot soup (or other hot liquids, for that matter) will steam and expand in a stand blender, which can push the top off and make a mess. When puréeing hot soup, do it in batches. Fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 full, and remove or loosen the center cap from the lid of the blender. Cover the lid with a folded dishcloth and hold it down when blending.

Substitutes and Variations

Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup lends itself to a number of different add-ins or variations. Let us know in the comments if you try any!

• Instead of chicken drumsticks, you can use chicken thighs, chicken breasts or even turkey.
• Feel free to switch up the vegetables based on your preferences or whatever you have in the fridge. If you choose to add leafy greens like spinach or kale do so at the end of cooking the other vegetables.
• If you don’t have orzo or don’t want to use it, you could swap it out for ditalini small shells or even rice.
• Try this recipe with different herbs like cilantro, basil or even dill.
• If you need to make this recipe gluten-free you could replace the orzo with rice, gluten-free pasta, or quinoa.
• Want to make the soup spicier? Add some red pepper flakes, or some cayenne pepper.

Serve it with

Consider serving this straightforward Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup with some homemade bread. Here are some of our favorites:

• No-Knead Peasant Bread
• No-Knead Gluten-Free Bread
• Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread
• Grandma’s No-Knead Olive Bread
• No-Knead Focaccia

Other Soup Recipes

• Lasagna Soup
• Pastina Soup
• Greek Lemon Soup
• The Best Lentil Soup
• The Best Chicken Soup Ever
• Healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup
• Healthiest Cream of Hidden Veggie Soup
• Hidden Veggie Meatball Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup

Questions

How can we make sure our meat is fully cooked?

If you don’t feel confident, you can most definitely use a meat thermometer but we assure you, you don’t need one for this recipe.

strong How can we send this soup with our kids to school?

Add boiling hot water into a thermos and seal it so that the thermos preheats. In the meantime, warm up the soup/stew/pasta on the stove. Dump the hot water out of the thermos and add the soup. Leave some room at the top so that it doesn’t create a vacuum seal, making the thermos harder to open.

What kind of broth do you use?

How can we store leftovers in the fridge?

Allow the soup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Then, place it in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Leftovers can be safely stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Can we freeze this?

If you have more leftovers than you can consume in a few days, freezing is a great option. Portion the soup into airtight containers or resealable freezer bags. Ensure there’s some room for expansion to prevent containers from cracking. Don’t forget to label the containers with the date. The soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

How do we prepare this from frozen?

When you’re ready to enjoy your leftover soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight if frozen. To reheat, use a microwave, stovetop, or an oven. Make sure to heat it thoroughly until it’s steaming hot. You may need to add a bit of water or broth to adjust the consistency.

What kind of salt do you use?

Can we use something other than vegetable stock?

Yes, feel free to use ONLY water if you don’t want to add stock into the pot in the beginning. We have made it without stock many times and it’s just as.

What type of onion should we use?

We usually use a whole peeled yellow onion but we didn’t have any on hand so we used a few shallots instead. Feel free to use any onion except red in this recipe.

How do we safely blend the hot vegetables before adding them back into the soup?

Hot soup (or other hot liquids, for that matter) will steam and expand in a stand blender, which can push the top off and make a mess. When puréeing hot soup, do it in batches. Fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 full, and remove or loosen the center cap from the lid of the blender. Cover the lid with a folded dishcloth and hold it down when blending.

Can we use pasta, rice, or noodles instead?

Yes absolutely, you can use anything you love in chicken soup. Just be sure to add it in after you have taken out the boiled veggies and chicken.

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

• 6 cups water
• 4 cups unsalted organic veggie broth
• 3 peeled shallots, or one whole peeled yellow/white onion
• 2 celery ribs, cut in half
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ red bell pepper, any bell pepper works
• 5 chicken drumsticks, you can use any cut of chicken but dark meat is the most flavourful
• salt to taste, start with ½ a tablespoon and taste and adjust after the soup is cooked
• ¾ cup orzo, or pastina
• fresh parsley for garnish, to taste

Method

1. Fill a big pot with water and organic unsalted vegetable broth. Add in the whole peeled and washed vegetables and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken drumsticks or thighs. Skim off any foam with a spoon and add salt. Make sure to add more salt as you taste and adjust at the very end.
2. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and semi-cover it with a lid. Let it go for 45-60 minutes or until the veggies are all super soft, the chicken is boiled, and broth has reduced.
3. You can now take out the chicken, let it cool, shred or cut it. If the chicken has bone or skin, you can compost it. Take out the whole veggies with a slotted spoon and throw them in the blender with two ladles of the clear broth.
4. Blend until everything is nice and smooth, add it back into the pot. Add the orzo and cook for 7-8 minutes or until al-dente. Add in the shredded chicken and fresh parsley for garnish, stir and enjoy.