I lived in Houston for 17 years and I still call it home in alot of ways. There are so many wonderful things to love about Houston. The people, the opportunities, the cost of living, the arts, the parks, the restaurants…oh, the restaurants!
Alonti is a cafe with locations throughout the city. My favorite thing on their menu is their Italian Wedding Soup, though I’m not sure why it’s called that. It has no resemblance to a traditional Italian Wedding Soup. But I didn’t really care what they called it. It is incredible! When I moved back to Arizona I was missing my favorite soup so several years ago I looked online for a copycat recipe and I found one at cookinginflipflops.com. I have to say, she nailed it! It tasted just like it. I have fussed with the recipe the last couple of years, making a few changes and then made it for my family in Arizona. The reaction was…wow. They loved it! It’s now the favorite soup for the whole family. It’s rich and creamy and oh, so delicious!
If you’d prefer a slightly lightened up version of this soup, substitute the heavy cream with 2 cups of 1% milk and 1 cup of whole milk. It is just as yummy!
I hope you enjoy my Alonti inspired Italian Wedding Soup. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Happy tinkering,
Susan
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup celery 4-5 stalks
- 1 small onion
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1/2 bunch italian parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 roasted chicken
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cup water
- 2 cup orzo
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On medium heat, add butter, chicken, celery, onion, green onion, italian parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a large pot or dutch oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
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Add chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until celery is tender.
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Reduce heat to medium low and remove bay leaves. Add cream, water and whole milk and stir until well blended.
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Add orzo and stir every few minutes until soup is thick and creamy, 30-45 minutes.
Whenever a soup calls for chicken, I always use a roasted chicken. It adds a richness to soup that you can't get with plain chicken breasts. You can get them at any grocery store in their deli section, and Costco sells a huge roasted chicken for $5.00. If you don't use the whole thing, freeze the rest!
