Chicken Florentine Soup

Inspiration: My Recipes

You don’t have to make this with orzo, but some pastas are better than others. Also, never use frozen spinach. My Italian grandmother will smack you with her cane if you do.

Ingredients

½ cup uncooked orzo 1 ¼ lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 cup water 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano 1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach 2 tbsp commercial pesto ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Set aside.

2. While pasta cooks, combine chicken, broth, and water in a large Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon; keep warm.

3. Stir in tomatoes; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Add cooked chicken and pasta to pan; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in pesto and pepper.

4. Ladle soup evenly into 6 bowls, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.