What is it about buffalo sauce?  Why is it that it took me years to find out the I loved it and now I can’t seem to live without it?  The first several times I tried it, I didn’t like it.  But back then, I was happy having mild, bland, and boring tasting food.  Now, I put spice in everything.  Granted, sometimes I’ll come across a buffalo dish that is so spicy that I can barely get through it.  But Frank’s is spot-on perfect.  So the fact that the bottle of Frank’s in my fridge is almost empty is nearly sending me in a panic.  I put in on chicken, I put it in pasta, I toss it on veggies.  It’s my go-to.  And this time, I even put it in my soup – Buffalo Chicken Soup with Orzo.

Chicken, carrot, onion and cooked orzo are mixed together with chicken broth, buffalo sauce, and cheddar and parmesan cheeses.  With some added flavor from green onions, ranch seasoning, and cilantro, this soup is not short on flavor.  You really need to be a buffalo sauce lover like me to appreciate this soup.  But you could also use as much or as little as you want if you just want a slight buffalo taste.  I’d wait to add any cilantro until the end rather than at the beginning because heated cilantro, once it turns almost black, is pretty unappealing and almost tasteless.  Throwing some at the end will add a huge punch of freshness which tastes so good with warm soup.  This is a good soup which I think would be good with a dollop of sour cream on top or with a splash of light cream mixed in.  If you like buffalo chicken, you’ll like this soup.

The ingredients:

Cook orzo according to package directions, cooking halfway (I cooked mine about 5 minutes) to allow for more cooking later.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté onion, garlic and green onions until opaque and fragrant.

Add carrots and ranch seasoning.

Add broth, buffalo sauce, cheeses and precooked chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Return soup to a boil and add the orzo and cook until al dente.

Top with green onions, cilantro and blue cheese crumbles (if desired).

Additions:  None

Omissions:

• Blue cheese

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Bake Your Day