Chicken noodle soup just got way more interesting. Inspired by Egyptian bird tongue soup, this warming spice-tinged chicken broth is as comforting as it is flavorful. The real star here is the orzo. Toasted in butter until it’s deeply golden and nutty-fragrant, the pasta takes on a new personality. Unlike plain noodles, which quickly go limp in hot soup, well-toasted orzo stays al dente for longer, holding its shape and texture until you’ve doled out every bowl.
Any store-bought chicken broth, stock, or bouillon paste offers an extra boost of flavor to the base that chicken thighs and water alone can’t compete with—for an even more robust option, go for chicken bone broth.
More nourishing soup recipes this way: Curried Yellow Squash Soup; Broken Lasagna Noodle Soup With Spinach; Spicy Cod and Potato Chowder.
Recipe information
Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
1¼
1½
3
1
1
½
¼
1
4
4
1
1
5
3
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Season 1¼ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (4–5) all over with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt.
Step 2
Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add 1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds, ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, ½ tsp. ground cardamom, and ¼ tsp. ground cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add chicken, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock, and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Partially cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh registers at least 165°, 15–18 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Using 2 forks, shred chicken.
Step 3
Melt 4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup orzo and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and remaining ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper.
Step 4
Scrape orzo mixture into pot with broth. Increase heat to medium and simmer broth, uncovered, until orzo is just al dente, 8–10 minutes. Remove soup from heat and add shredded chicken, 5 oz. baby kale or spinach, and 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Stir until greens are just wilted. Taste and season with more salt if needed.