Crockpot Turkey Orzo Soup

Mar 10th
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Turns out I’m not entirely thrilled with the crock pot. I’ve tried a few recipes that fell flat. My husband and I could eat giant bunches of any bitter green once it’s sauteed in garlic and oil – but the kale I added to my crockpot of chicken and veggies turned olive green and tasted like dirt. Boo. I like crisp, roasted or sauteed veggies, not
steamed ones.
So, with all that being said, I’ve made this crock pot turkey and orzo soup the last two Mondays and we’ve eaten soup for two week nights in a row (we heart leftovers in my house). So maybe soup in the crock pot is where it’s at?
This past weekend I made an America’s Test Kitchen hot chocolate cake in the crockpot and a lasagna filling in there too (not at the same time hehe) - recipes to follow – so maybe it’s just difficult to find GOOD crockpot recipes.
So this turkey soup requires no browning or sauteeing ahead of time – making it TRULY easy. The orzo is added at the end and since it’s just pasta, it cooks quickly. The color was a bit blah after it had been cooking all day, so the peas are the perfect easy punch up (no chopping required!).
Personally, I’ve been eating soup for lunch every day at work and most days for dinner. Not only is it a great warm up for the annoyingly chilly March weather, but it fills me up for a small amount of calories (since apparently the cherry on top of going back to work is a several pound weight gain – awesome)

Crockpot Turkey Orzo Soup

Serves 8

2 medium onions, diced

4 carrots, sliced

3 celery ribs, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 split skinless turkey breast (1.75 lb), trimmed of visible fat

8 c. chicken broth

2 bay leaves

3/4 c. whole wheat orzo or elbow macaroni

1 c. frozen peas

1/2 tsp. salt

1. Mix onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and tomato paste in crock pot.

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2. Nestle turkey into mixture. Pour chicken broth over mixture. Add bay leaves.

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3. Cook on low, 6-8 hours.

4. Remove turkey and let cool enough to handle. Shred.

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5. Meanwhile, increase heat to high and add orzo. Cook for 20 minutes or until orzo is tender.

6. Add back shredded meat along with peas and salt and let cook for several minutes until heated through. Serve.

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