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I’ve been craving soup lately.
You?
Surely it’s not just because it is raining. That would be too… cliché. Yet, here I am, talking to you about soup. Not just any soup. Brothy, fully satisfying and gorgeously sensual soup.
How do you feel about a soup that is one-part soup, one-part casserole, and one-part KA-POW!
Yeah, now I’ve got your attention.
For some reason I’ve been daydreaming about a thick chicken and rice soup. On the verge of dumplings.
And then… I saw it… the recipe that tugged at my heart strings… and answered my cravings.
Thank you for your recipe, Mr. Williams and Mr. Sonoma. I hope you don’t mind I made a few adjustments and now it is perfect!
See for yourself how easy this is.
And the photo, scroll back up. Doesn’t that photo just beckon you to cook?
ORZO, DELICATA SQUASH & CHICKEN SOUP WITH SAGE
Source: Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day Cookbook
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
4 delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (2 yellow crock-neck squash are PERFECT!)
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup orzo pasta
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 sage leaves, torn into pieces (I went with dried rubbed sage, sprinkle liberally, 1-2 tablespoons)
4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the squash with 2 Tbsp of the oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Place the chicken on another baking sheet, brush with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the squash on the top rack in the oven and the chicken on the lower rack. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and continue to roast the squash until it is tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes longer. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-site pieces.
Put 6 cups water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. And ½ tsp salt and the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.
In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and sage and sauté until soft, after 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo, shredded chicken, and squash and reduce the heat to low. Summer for 15 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Go ahead.
Make this easy soup for yourself and slurp, gulp, and inhale to your heart’s content.
You deserve it.
Rain or not.
Eat well, my friends. Eat well.
Lyndi
