Chicken Orzo Tomato Soup

• DeLallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil↗2 tablespoon
• cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced↗4
• DeLallo Tomato Paste↗0.25 cup
• Italian seasoning↗0.5 teaspoon
• chicken broth↗4 cup
• salt to taste↗
• DeLallo Orzo Pasta↗1 cup
• chopped or shredded cooked chicken (I use the pulled meat from a rotisserie chicken)2 cup

  I use the pulled meat from a rotisserie chicken

• heavy cream↗0.25 cup
• water as desired↗1 cup
• parmesan, herbs, red pepper flakes, and lemon for serving↗
• bread for serving↗
• pesto for serving (optional↗recipe in notes)

  optional recipe in notes

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. (See notes on types of pan to use!) Add the garlic; sauté for 1-2 minutes until soft and fragrant but not browned.

2. 2

   Add the tomato paste and Italian seasoning; cook until it becomes caramelized and turns a deep red color, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the broth gradually until the mixture incorporates into a smooth liquid. This is a good time to add salt; I recommend tasting the liquid to see how much salt it needs depending on how salty your broth was. Otherwise just add 1/2 teaspoon to start, and add from there.

4. 4

   Add the orzo and bring the whole thing to a simmer for about 10 minutes until the orzo is soft. If needed, add a cup more of water and/or broth to get your desired consistency. Stir in heavy cream.

5. 5

   Add the chicken and squeeze in a bunch of lemon juice to wake the whole thing up.

6. 6

   Serve topped with Parmesan, herbs, red pepper flakes, and hot crusty bread. If you want, serve with a little side of pesto for dipping the bread in before dunking in the soup. YUM. So good!