Chicken meatball and orzo broth

Chicken meatball and orzo broth

This light chicken meatball and orzo broth serves as a hearty midweek meal while being much lower in fat than a classic meatball recipe.

Chicken meatball and orzo broth

Or, for a slightly different take on this brothy soup, check out our chicken, kale and pesto soup. 

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands on time 25 min

This light chicken meatball and orzo broth serves as a hearty midweek meal while being much lower in fat than a classic meatball recipe.

Or, for a slightly different take on this brothy soup, check out our chicken, kale and pesto soup. 

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
389kcals
Fat
8.6g (3.6g saturated)
Protein
37.7g
Carbohydrates
37.3g (3.5g sugars)
Fibre
6.1g
Salt
1.9g

Ingredients

  • 340g British free-range chicken sausages, skin removed (see tip)
  • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • Finely grated zest ½ lemon
  • 3 tbsp finely grated parmesan
  • 30g fresh breadcrumbs
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 800ml chicken stock
  • 30g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 large leek, trimmed and sliced
  • 150g orzo pasta
  • 150g purple sprouting broccoli
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. 1 Mix the sausagemeat, parsley, lemon zest, 2 tbsp of the parmesan, the breadcrumbs and some salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Form into 16 equal-size meatballs.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, set over a medium-high heat and fry the balls for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden, then set aside. 3 Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium pan and add the porcini mushrooms. Cook for 7 minutes over a low heat, then add the leek and meatballs for 3 minutes more.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in a separate pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, adding the broccoli for the final 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, then add to the stock and meatballs and serve with the remaining parmesan on top.

Nutrition

Calories
389kcals
Fat
8.6g (3.6g saturated)
Protein
37.7g
Carbohydrates
37.3g (3.5g sugars)
Fibre
6.1g
Salt
1.9g

delicious. tips

  1. Go for sausages that are at least 70% chicken – we used Heck Chicken Italia; or use 340g turkey thigh mince.

Buy ingredients online

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine
April 2024 delicious magazine cover

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Cajun-style chicken meatballs

This recipe for cajun-style chicken meatballs is a delicious twist...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Chicken casserole recipes

Chicken and bean summer stew

Quick, easy and full of seasonal summer flavours, this chicken...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Comfort food recipes

Baked smoky meatballs

”Whether they’re piled on top of spaghetti, wrapped in a...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

One-pot chicken recipes

Spring chicken and orzo pot roast

Pot-roasting chicken makes sure it’s tender, juicy and – in...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Easy orzo recipes

Chicken and chicory orzo

Caramelising bitter chicory draws out some sweetness, especially when paired...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Chicken soup recipes

Chicken, lemon and orzo soup

Inspired by avgolemono, a traditional Greek dish that sees eggs...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.