If you find yourself wishing you could just drink buffalo sauce but don’t want the world to judge you… I’ve got a solution for you.
I have already altered this recipe from it’s original on Bake Your Day, instead of listing off my changes afterwards. So yay for the ease of reading the recipe this time! For the record though I would like to apologize on what may be a wacky way to measure cheese. I was too lazy to pull out a measuring cup so I literally looked at the weight of the bag I bought and configured how much to pour in. So I didn’t even weigh what I did use, that’s how lazy I got. I would actually recommend shredding your own cheese to achieve the best flavor. But laziness won this time. But let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with cheese, unless you aren’t using it!
Now for those of you that don’t dream of drinking Frank’s its okay this recipe can be for you too. I was actually pleasantly surprised the first time I made this as I was a little worried on how much buffalo would be happening, but it’s actually a really nice meld once everything is done and plated. Logan loves this one, but he’d drink the bottle of sauce if I’d let him. So this soup definitely works for the sauce drinker, and the normal sauce is an extra not a main dish eater.
It’s tip time. If you don’t know this little trick, the skies are currently opening and the sun is about to shine down on you. Anytime recipes require shredded chicken head to the grocery store and grab a rotisserie chicken. Not only do these little guys provide more bang for their buck (for the record I was going to say more cluck for their buck, but then I didn’t want you to think I was horrible at jokes all the time) but they are super moist and ready to be shredded. I’ve made other meals such as enchiladas with rotisserie chicken not just soup, and it works like a charm every time. And if you are lucky to have extra after whatever your recipe calls for, make something else! Make a sandwich, make a pasta salad – there are so many options, it’s crazy.
Okay kids. Another recipe in the books and a cooking tip – it’s a good day.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup orzo, uncooked
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp. ranch seasoning mix
- 3 Tbs. fresh cilantro, divided
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
- 1 bundle green onions, chopped and divided
Directions:
Prepare orzo according to the package instructions.
Meanwhile as the orzo cooks, heat the grapeseed oil in a large pot over medium/high heat. Once oil is shimmering and runs across the pan, cook the onion and carrots until the the onion is translucent and the carrots have begun to soften. Add the garlic and stir for an additional one minute. Then add the ranch seasoning, chicken, 2 tablespoons of cilantro and half of the green onions. Stir until ingredients are covered with seasoning.
Pour chicken broth and buffalo sauce into the chicken mixture. Slowly while stirring add cheddar cheese and Parmesan. Stir until combined and cheese has melted throughout. Bring soup to a light boil and reduce heat to low, while maintaining a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender and to your liking.
Add prepared orzo and stir to combine. Continue to let simmer for 5 more minutes.
Serve soup with remaining green onions and cilantro divided evenly between servings.
NOTES:
For a pasta free version, substitute cauliflower rice for the orzo. Want to cut out more fat/calories skip the cheese in the soup and just sprinkle it on top before serving. Blue cheese would also make a great garnish!
