Everybody loves chicken noodle soup. The salty broth, the contrast between soft and crunchy veggies, and those healing hot vapors that are reminiscent of a warm fire on a chill, dreary day. A timeless Fall and Winter staple, no doubt.
But these seasons can be long, and creating new variations in your favorite soups is an important aspect of keeping things fresh.
That's why we've created a lemon chicken orzo soup that replaces noodles with orzo, adds a few new spices and provides that same healing quality with a completely new taste.
Let us know what you think 🙂
Enjoy!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Frying Pan (medium-large)
Ingredients
- 1 Lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 whole carrots (large) peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup orzo uncooked
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp thyme dried
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon juice and zest
Instructions
- First, wash and dry your chicken. Cut into 1-inch chunks, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium-large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add your chicken chunks, and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot, and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Stir and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add the dried thyme and lemon zest, and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the broth, bay leaf, and 1 cup water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the orzo, cooked chicken and rosemary sprig.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Steps
1) First, wash and dry your chicken. Cut into 1-inch chunks, and season with salt and pepper.
2) In a medium frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add your chicken chunks, and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3) Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot, and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Stir and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add the dried thyme and lemon zest, and cook for 1 more minute.
4) Add the broth, bay leaf, and 1 cup water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the orzo, cooked chicken and rosemary sprig.
5) Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
6) Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
7) Serve immediately and enjoy.
Concluding
Nothing extravagant about it, just a simple, delicious, healing soup recipe we love. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
Cheers,
Kristina