• Dissolve the miso paste in about 1 cup of the chicken broth and set aside
• Preheat a large heavy-bottom pot with 2 Tbsp of oil over medium heat. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds. Take care not to burn them.
  
• If you are using uncooked chicken, add them here and saute until they just started to turn color, but not fully cooked yet. You don't have to do this, but I usually like to remove the partially cooked chicken from the pot and set aside to avoid overcooking the chicken. I used leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe
• To the same pot, add the rest of the chicken broth and also the miso paste you mixed with the broth earlier. Bring to a gentle simmer and then add the orzo.
  
• Bring it back to a simmer and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes
  
• The orzo should be tender but still have a bit of bite to it (al dente)
  
• About 3 minutes before the orzo is almost done cooking, add the partially-cooked chicken back into the pot.
• The starch from orzo will gradually thicken the soup. If you use cooked leftover chicken, stir them in and cook for about 1 minute
  
• Have a taste and adjust by adding more salt and pepper to your taste. Off the heat and stir in the spinach. The residual heat will wilt the spinach. I recommend only stirring in the spinach when you are ready to serve it
You can make the soup ahead up to this point and stir in the leftover cooked chicken and spinach when you are ready to serve it

To serve:

• Serve them warm and garnish with some chopped green onion and cilantro if you choose to use and a drizzle or two of chili crisp

Storage:

• If you have leftover, let it cool down completely. Keep them in an air-tight container and keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze individual portion for up to a month
• They can be easily reheated on the stove or in the microwave. If it gets too thick, you can stir in a bit of water or chicken broth to loosen it a bit