Spicy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Step 1

Place the chicken in a large stock pot and season it with salt. Pile the aromatics on top and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1½ hours. Skim off any foam or scum from the top of the broth as it cooks. Let cool completely and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

Step 2

The next day, remove the pot from the refrigerator and transfer it to the stovetop. Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken from the liquid and transfer it to a large bowl. Discard the skin and pick all the meat from the bones. You can save the carcass for stock if you want. Shred the meat using your fingers and set it aside.

Step 3

Bring the broth back to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Rapid simmer for about 30 minutes to reduce the broth slightly and intensify the flavors. Turn off the heat. You should be left with about 8 cups of liquid. If not quite 8 cups, you can supplement with water as the broth will be quite intense.

Step 4

Carefully pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard solids. Rinse out the pot and return it to the stovetop.

Step 5

Heat the 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in the pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and cayenne powder. Cook for 1 minute.

Step 6

Add the shredded chicken to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the homemade broth and bring it to a boil. While boiling, pour in the orzo. Stir constantly and cook for 8 minutes until just shy of al dente.

Step 7

Add the broccoli and heavy cream to the soup, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Step 8

Place the freshly grated cheddar and pepper jack cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch and use your hands to coat the cheese completely. Set aside.

Step 9

Reduce the heat on the soup to low. It should not be bubbling at all! I recommend turning off the heat on an electric stove that has residual heat for this step.

Step 10

Add a handful of the cheese and whisk to incorporate. Continue whisking until fully melted. Continue adding the cheese in handfuls, whisking after each addition, until smooth and creamy. The cornstarch will help prevent the cheese from clumping. Taste and season. Turn off the heat.

Step 11

Place the broccoli florets in a bowl with a few splashes of water. If your microwave has a steam setting, use that. Otherwise, microwave in 30-second increments until tender-crisp and warmed through. You don’t have to do this step; I like fresh broccoli on mine. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Step 12

Ladle the soup into bowls. Spoon a few steamed broccoli florets into each bowl and sprinkle with a bit more pepper jack cheese. Garnish with freshly minced parsley. Enjoy!