This article originally appeared as part of the story Into the Kitchen in the April 2019 issue.
Angela Verrastro, owner of Angelina's Kitchen, shares her recipe for chicken orzo soup.
Ingredients:
- 3 quarts chicken stock (You can make your own, like the Angelina’s Kitchen team does, or you can buy your favorite brand.)
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups diced onion (sweet, yellow or Vidalia)
- 2 cups diced celery (include celery leaves)
- 3 cups chopped escarole (optional)
- 4 whole bay leaves
- 4 chicken breasts
- Kosher or sea salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing
- 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
Lay chicken breasts on a baking sheet that’s lightly coated with olive oil. Brush olive oil on chicken and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place chicken in preheated 375-degree oven until its internal temperature is 165 degrees. In a stock pot, place stock on stove over medium-high heat, with bay leaves, celery and carrots. Coat a sauté pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until translucent and golden, adding about 2 teaspoons of salt as you sauté. Add onions to stock pot and bring to a low simmer. Dice cooked chicken and add to stock pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. When veggies are tender, your soup is done (optional: add chopped escarole at the very end and stir in).
Separately, cook orzo pasta in boiling, salted water for 9 minutes. Drain and add to soup as you serve it. Note that adding the orzo to the pot of soup will make any leftover soup starchy and the orzo too soft. This way, everyone can add as little or as much orzo as they like (if the orzo is omitted, the soup is gluten-free).
Angelina’s Kitchen
2170 Eagle Creek Lane
651.998.0474
In addition to dining in, the restaurant offers take-and-bake meals to go, takeout and catering.
