# Andouille Chicken Orzo Soup

Gumbo flavors on a Tuesday night — andouille, chicken thighs, the holy trinity and orzo, no dark roux. About 40 minutes.

Source page: https://madebetterwithbutter.com/recipes/andouille-chicken-orzo-soup/

- Category: Weeknight, Soups, Chicken
- Cook: About 40 min
- Serves: 4 bowls

## Ingredients
- 2 links andouille sausage (we used chicken andouille), sliced into coins
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

### The trinity
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced

### For the pot
- 2 medium potatoes, in small cubes
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 170 g dry orzo (170 g is about 1 cup)
- neutral oil, salt and black pepper

## Steps
1. Toss the chicken with 1 tsp of the Cajun seasoning.
2. Brown the andouille in a little oil over medium-high heat until the edges are dark, 4–5 minutes. Lift it out and set aside.
3. In the same fat, cook the onion, bell peppers and celery until soft, 5–6 minutes. Add the garlic and the rest of the Cajun seasoning and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the potatoes and stock and scrape up everything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Return the sausage and add the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, 6–8 minutes.
6. Stir in the orzo and simmer until tender, 8–10 minutes, adding a splash of stock or water if it gets too thick. Taste before salting — the sausage and seasoning are already salty.

## Notes
- Four thighs is about 1–1¼ lb.
- The orzo keeps drinking broth. Leftovers set up thick in the fridge; loosen them with stock or water when you reheat.
- Scale the orzo with care; it swells a lot. A 454 g box covers this recipe about two and a half times.
- Doubled, this needs a big pot — more than a standard 5½-quart Dutch oven.