Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Making the time

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Making the time

According to the report I get most mornings, a whole lot of people read this newsletter every single day. Enough people to fill a city! I love hearing from you all in my inbox, and occasionally I get emails or direct messages from colleagues. But few people have read Eat Voraciously as closely, or with as much genuine interest, as Mitch Rubin.

A former longtime deputy editor in the Features department, Mitch was several management layers above me. He had neither the time nor need to read my work, and yet he did — and even made the effort to comment on it to me directly, whenever we'd see each other in the office. He's specific with his feedback, and generous and kind. It's not that my editors are not — they are! — but Mitch's job was so much bigger than this little newsletter. Every time he mentions that he made an Eat Voraciously recipe, or liked what I wrote about some artist or poet, I'm a little stunned.

I'll admit that I used to be quietly skeptical of Mitch. I used to think a manager at his level couldn't possibly be so thoughtful and genuine. But then I realized I'm not the only one Mitch makes time for — he seemed to follow the work of all of the writers under his direction. In a world where attention is our most precious resource, Mitch pays attention. And, he communicates it in a way that shows that he cares. That's not something that can be said for a lot of managers.

The last time I saw Mitch in The Post's Food Lab — that's what we call our test kitchen — he mentioned that he'd made a soup that he thought I'd really like, and he was going to send me the recipe. A few weeks later, Mitch let his staff know that he'd be leaving The Post at the end of June. Our entire Food team was crushed, but we continue to appreciate what a great manager he was, and what a huge supporter he continues to be.

I know Mitch likes soup, so I thought I'd dedicate this one to him. It's a chicken soup with vegetables and orzo, tinted green with pesto and it takes just 30 minutes to put together. That way Mitch (and you!) can get back to paying attention to all of the other things that matter — besides, of course, dinner.

Today's recipe

Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Chicken Orzo Soup With Pesto

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Storage: For best flavor and texture, leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.

To save or print this recipe, view it in our Recipe Finder here.

Servings: 4
Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
One (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably with basil and garlic (may substitute 2 medium tomatoes, hulled, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic or the same size can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes)
3/4 cup whole-wheat orzo (may substitute regular orzo)
1 lemon
1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons basil pesto, for serving (store-bought or homemade)

Steps

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the chicken, broth, tomatoes and their juices, and orzo. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes.

2. Grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemon (about half a lemon's worth) directly into the pot, then cut the fruit in half and squeeze in 1 tablespoon of its juice. Stir in the zucchini and/or yellow squash and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through.

3. Taste, and season lightly with salt and pepper if you are using the basil-and-garlic-flavored tomatoes; season with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste, and a few grinds of pepper, if you are using fresh or no-salt-added tomatoes.

4. Remove from the heat and divide among individual bowls. Top each portion with the pesto, to taste. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges, for squeezing over, and serve.

Adapted from "Better Homes and Gardens Quick Homemade: Fast, Fresh Meals in 30 Minutes" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019). Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 380; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 90 mg; Sodium: 590 mg; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Dietary Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 6 g; Protein: 35 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

To make this vegetarian >> omit the chicken, use vegetable broth and add a (drained and rinsed) can of chickpeas.
In place of tomatoes >> use more broth and stir in lots of chopped fresh herbs at the end.
Not into orzo? >> How about rice or quinoa?