Souper Fall Time Lemony Chicken & Orzo Soup Creamy Parm Tomato Soup

FOOD

By Lena Abraham

Delish.com

During fall, all we want to do is cozy up to something warm in our favorite sweaters. Here at Delish, we can’t think of a better way to do that than with a warming cup of soup — it’s just right. When the weather gets cold, these easy autumn soup recipes will warm you up with minimal time (and effort) in the kitchen.

Lemony Chicken & Orzo Soup

This bright, hearty soup is a quick and easy alternative to chicken noodle, perfect for weeknights when you’re craving something homey. Filled with a mix of veggies, chicken, beans, and orzo, there’s a lot of room in this recipe for improvisation. We break it all down below:

The Broth

We love store-bought chicken broth for convenience, but homemade chicken broth is always superior when it comes to flavor. Either works, as do bouillon cubes prepared according to the packaging, or vegetable broth, or even water. You’ll just have to season a bit more aggressively.

The Veggies

Fennel and onions are a nice combo, but many hearty root vegetables (like parsnips, carrots, or sweet potatoes) are perfect substitutes. Feel free to mix and match. As for leafy greens, any variety that wilts quickly in hot liquid will do: think kale, chard, or spinach. Frozen green peas would also work well.

The Chicken

Pretty much any cut of chicken will do here, with some adjustments to the cook time. Pieces of dark meat and pieces with bones require a longer cook time, but add extra flavor.

The Pasta

It wouldn’t be an orzo soup without orzo, but if you’re looking to use up another small pasta like ditalini or orecchiette, we certainly won’t stop you. In fact… you didn’t hear it from us, but pretty much any pasta would do the trick. Just know that cook times will vary from shape to shape. Yields 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

1 medium lemon, halved crosswise 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium fennel bulb, chopped 1/2 yellow onion, chopped Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth 2 c. water 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts 1/2 c. orzo 1 (15.5-oz can) white beans, drained and rinsed 3 c. greens (such as kale, spinach, or Swiss chard) torn into bite-size pieces Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add lemon halves cut side down and let cook undisturbed until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside to cool. Immediately add oil, fennel and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are beginning to turn golden at the edges, around 12 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth and water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of your pan. Add chicken and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board to cool slightly. Bring soup to a boil and add orzo and beans. Boil until orzo is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred chicken using clean hands or 2 forks. When orzo is finished cooking, return shredded chicken to pot and turn off heat. Fold in greens until wilted and squeeze lemon halves into soup (being careful to remove any seeds first). Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan.

Creamy Parm Tomato Soup

This easy tomato soup is perfect for those chilly fall and winter evenings. If you prefer a heartier greens, kale or broccoli rabe can be added 5 minutes after the tortellini! Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter 1/2 medium onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 tsp. Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour 3 tbsp. tomato paste 3 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes 4 c. cheese tortellini 1/3 c. heavy cream 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan 3 c. spinach, packed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp. thinly sliced basil, for garnish

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and flour, whisk to combine, and cook 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until tortellini is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and Parmesan and stir to combine, then add spinach and let wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with basil, and serve. For more recipes, visit Delish.com. 

ENTERTAINMENT

Dead Man’s Halloween Party — Oingo Boingo Former Members

Former members of the legendary new wave group Oingo Boingo, performing hits “Dead Man’s Party,” “Weird Science,” “We Close Our Eyes,” “Only a Lad,” “Just Another Day,” “Stay,” “Out Of Control,” “Who Do You Want To Be,” “Gratitude,” Private Life,” and many more.

Original ‘80s and ‘90s era Oingo Boingo members Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez, Sam “Sluggo” Phipps, Carl Graves, and on occasion Steve Bartek, John Avila and Doug Legacy are joined by Brendan McCreary (vocals), Mike Glendinning (guitar), Freddy Hernandez (bass), Brian Swartz (trumpet) and Felice Hernandez (backing vocals) to form Oingo Boingo Former Members. This powerhouse group has been performing and selling out venues in California since 2005, including the iconic Greek Theater.

With a loyal West Coast following, Oingo Boingo was even honored by the city of Los Angeles when the City Council designated April 20, 2016 as official “Oingo Boingo Day” in Los Angeles. If you want to dance, if you want to live in nostalgia, if you want some high energy music that will keep your feet moving, we’ll see you at the next Oingo Boingo Former Members concert!

You can see Oingo Boingo Former Members live at The Canyon Santa Clarita on October 28th. Tickets are available online through AXS, over the phone at (888) 645-5006, and in person at the Canyon Santa Clarita box office. For more information, visit www.wheremusicmeetsthesoul. com. 