Creamy Turmeric Lemon Chicken & Orzo Soup from Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy

This has become everyone’s favorite bowl of chicken soup around here. Creamy, cheesy, and lemony, it’s classic but done up with a few special ingredients—turmeric, a Parmesan rind, and lots of fresh herbs—that make it even more delicious. Yes, a Parmesan rind—save yours in a zip-top bag in the freezer! They’re edible, too, and are often the most flavorful part of the cheese, so it’s no wonder they add a ton of deliciousness to this (and any) soup, where you get all their flavor without having to bite into the hard rind. (Still, you can actually fry them up in a skillet and then eat them!) Serve this soup with crusty bread, or do as my mom does and make a batch of homemade popcorn to sprinkle atop each bowl. It’s different but really yummy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
10 to 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or more as needed
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
1 pound dried orzo
1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup basil pesto
1 lemon
Chopped fresh dill, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, carrots, celery, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften and the herbs start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric and season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 10 cups of the broth, the chicken, and Parmesan rind (if using). Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Using tongs, remove and discard the Parmesan rind. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When it is cool enough to handle, tear or shred the meat into bite-size pieces.

3. Add the orzo to the Dutch oven. Return the liquid to a simmer and cook, until the orzo is nearly al dente, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and more chicken broth as needed if the soup is too thick. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted, 5 minutes more. Stir in the milk, Parmesan, pesto, and shredded chicken and cook just until heated through. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

4. Remove from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with dill before serving.

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Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy: A Cookbook

Tieghan Gerard

120+ recipes for delicious, soul-warming comfort food . . . and getting it ready in a hurry—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Half Baked Harvest Every Day.

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