Chicken soup with small pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orzo pasta or any other fine pasta
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• Half a medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 3 cups cooked chicken (see recipe)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 5 cups chicken broth, lightly salted canned or homemade

Preparation:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and generously salt it. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and salt; cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken, bay leaf, thyme, and broth to the vegetables, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Just before serving, stir the pasta into the soup. Ladle into warm bowls and serve. The soup can be made ahead of time and frozen. Add the pasta when serving.