Chicken Orzo Pasta with Vegetables

Use broth and orzo pasta as a base for a delicious meal with chicken, spinach, vegetables, and so much flavor. Plus, it reheats well.

I absolutely love orzo pasta! Unfortunately, I have very few recipes that use orzo, so I am always looking for more. When I came across this recipe from the 100 Days of Real Food website, I knew I had to make it. However, hers is a soup and I was not in the mood for a soup. So I changed a few things as I made the meal. It quickly became Chicken Orzo Pasta with Vegetables.

A few weeks ago, we had a girls’ weekend. All of the women in my family flew to Texas. There were 7 of us total, and we took a road trip over to San Antonio for a night to visit the River Walk. They all stayed at my house for two of the three nights they were in Texas, and we had some leftovers in the refrigerator.

One of the leftovers was this chicken orzo pasta meal, and they all raved about it. The leftovers were in the fridge for at least a couple of days before they had it, so it lasts for a while and reheats well.

Chicken Orzo Pasta Step by Step

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced carrots and onion
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced, dried
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lb orzo pasta
• 1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 5 oz spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dill

Preparation

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the carrots and onion.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until they have softened.

Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Pour the vegetable broth into the vegetables and bring to a boil.

Add the orzo and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.

Stir in the chicken, spinach, heavy cream, lemon juice, and salt.

Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until everything is heated through and the spinach has wilted, stirring often so the orzo doesn’t stick to the pan.

Sprinkle with dill to garnish and serve immediately.

Leftovers

Leftover chicken orzo pasta can be stored in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cook in a saucepan and add water or vegetable oil as needed if it’s too dry.

Recipe

Chicken Orzo Pasta with Vegetables

Use broth and orzo pasta as a base for a delicious meal with chicken, spinach, vegetables, and so much flavor. Plus, it reheats well.

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

chicken

|

orzo

|

pasta

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Chicken/Turkey

Cooking Method:

One-Pan Meals

Servings: 6 servings

5 from 5 votes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup carrots and onions (peeled, diced)
• 1 tbsp dried garlic (minced)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lb orzo pasta
• 1 lb chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
• 5 oz spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dill

Recommended Equipment

• Stockpot
• Chef Knife

Instructions

• In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the carrots and onion
• Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until they have softened
• Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant
• Pour the vegetable broth into the vegetables and bring to a boil
• Add the orzo and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the pasta is al dente
• Stir in the chicken, spinach, heavy cream, lemon juice, and salt
• Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until everything is heated through and the spinach has wilted, stirring often so the orzo doesn’t stick to the pan
• Sprinkle with dill to garnish and serve immediately

Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Orzo Pasta with Vegetables

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 459 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 3g15%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 60mg20%

Sodium 1144mg48%

Potassium 675mg19%

Carbohydrates 65g22%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 28g56%

Vitamin A 4288IU86%

Vitamin C 12mg15%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Related Recipes

• Cheesy Spinach Orzo Pasta Sides
• Shrimp Orzo with Lemon
• Grilled Summer Orzo Salad
• Honey Mustard Chicken with Orzo
• Leek Orzo with Fried Eggs