Creamy Chicken Florentine with Orzo (Print Version)
Tender chicken, spinach, and orzo in a silky, herbed creamy broth—comforting and ready in under an hour.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Aromatics and 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)
# How to Make It:
01 - Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened and translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
03 - Stir in thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add shredded chicken and uncooked orzo; toss to combine and coat evenly with seasonings.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is nearly tender.
05 - Stir in chopped spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fully wilted and vibrant green.
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 broth is creamy and heated through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy broth tastes like it spent all day developing flavor but honestly comes together with almost no effort.
- It turns simple leftover chicken into something that feels intentionally special, the kind of meal people assume took far more work than it did.
02 -
- Never let the soup reach a full boil after adding the cream or it will curdle and look broken instead of silky.
- The orzo continues to absorb broth as it sits, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating leftovers to loosen it back up.
03 -
- Shred the chicken while it is still slightly warm because cold chicken tends to tear into stringy uneven pieces.
- A small pinch of nutmeg in cream-based soups is an old restaurant trick that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.