Soups/Salads

Buffalo Chicken Soup with Orzo

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

Curried Chicken Salad

I don’t know about you but I feel like I post a lot about egg salad or chicken salad but the fact of the matter is that I grew up in central Illinois where mayonnaise was always in my house and a mayonnaise sandwich wasn’t necessarily out of the question when no one was looking.  But since mayo is bad, bad, bad, I’m not willing to give up on egg salad and chicken salad, two of my favorite loves.  I keep trying to make it healthy and whether I’m satisfied enough or not, I’m always willing to try it a different way.  So there you go.  I was curious about a Curried Chicken Salad recipe from Martha Stewart but it required a lot of chicken prep which I wasn’t into.  So this is my version of Martha’s version and it turned out pretty darn good.

Precooked chicken is mixed with a combination of Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, curry powder and scallions before being tossed with toasted almonds and Granny Smith apple.  Using precooked chicken makes this dish come together fast and the combination of yogurt and light mayonnaise keeps it creamy.  The curry adds a bold flavor punch (but not too much) and the almonds and apple provide a fun crunch.  Since I typically like a bit of sweetness in my chicken salad, either from grapes or dried fruit, I love the addition of the Granny Smith apple which not only adds a little sweetness but also a tart edge.

Curried Chicken Salad (makes 4 servings) – adapted from Martha Stewart

  •  9 oz precooked chicken, chopped (such as PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast, Original Roasted)
  • 6 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lettuce or baby spinach

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in chicken until combined.  Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.

The ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in chicken until combined.

Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Happy October everyone!  October to me begs for two things: pumpkin anything and warm, bubbly soup.  Oh, and Halloween candy.  But…I’ve been trying to eat better lately and the key to doing that is to bring my lunch to work each day, stay away from fast food (and candy) and plan my snacks (hello fruit).  One of the easiest foods for me to make when I’m trying to eat healthy is soup.  It’s usually low in calories, filled with veggies, packed with flavor and easy to bring for lunch.  Not to mention that it’s usually a quick, one-pot meal.  I made this Chicken and Vegetable Soup over the weekend which is a perfect grab-and-go lunchtime option.  Made with rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken, the soup comes together in a flash and packs a flavor punch.

Fire-roasted tomatoes are the key to this soup which is mixed with broth, carrots, onions and green beans.  Chicken and quick-cooking orzo bulk up this soup which would also be great with spinach or mushrooms.  The vegetables are quickly sauteed (I added the green beans too early by accident) and become sweet which still retain their crisp and crunchy texture helping to make this soup hearty and filling.  The orzo will plump up a little bit more as the soup sits so don’t worry if it doesn’t look like it’s not quite done.  It will be perfect when you are ready to sit down and eat it.  Paired with some fruit and baby carrots, this will be my lunch for the rest of the week.  And I’m looking forward to it.

The ingredients:

Add oil to a Dutch oven heated over medium-high heat.   Swirl to coat and add onion, carrot, garlic, salt, black pepper and thyme sprig; sauté 4 minutes.

Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Add pasta and beans; cook 5 minutes.

Stir in chicken, and sprinkle with cheese. Discard thyme.

Top with additional cheese if you prefer.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Perdue® Short Cuts®

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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