Summer Favorite: Chicken, Zucchini & Tomato Orzo

This recipe is my go-to when I find I’ve gotten a little too enthusiastic at the farmers market picking out fresh produce. Tender chicken, zucchini and tomatoes come together in a light, flavorful sauce, with orzo folded in at the end to soak up all that goodness.

It’s light, bright and exactly the kind of dinner I want to make in the summer (especially when the produce drawer is overflowing because I sometimes forget I’m not feeding a small army)

Chicken, Zucchini & Tomato Orzo

Fresh summer produce, tender chicken and orzo come together with herbs and Parmesan in this easy weeknight dinner. Light, bright, and full of flavor!

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Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions thinly sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 medium zucchini cut into ¾-inch pieces
• 6 plum tomatoes cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 cup orzo
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley minced
• 2-4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

Let’s Cook!

 

• Season chicken with the salt, pepper and oregano
• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and cook about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions and garlic and sauté about 3 minutes, until golden.
• Stir in chicken broth.
• Return chicken to skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.until the veggies are tender
• While the chicken is simmering, cook the orzo in boiling, salted water. Drain.
• To finish, fold the orzo into the Dutch oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes From My Kitchen

• If you’d like to spice things up a little more, toss the chicken with 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Leftovers are delicious cold the next day.

Keyword chicken, orzo, tomatoes, zucchini

It’s the perfect summer dish in my kitchen. And comes together in around 30 minutes so it’s also perfect for busy nights.

Eat well friends!

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