Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

As seen on Tide and Thyme, originally from Cooking Light

Recently I had a surplus of lemons that I bought but wasn't sure what to do with. So I hit up my online friends for some ideas. One of the suggestions that stood out to me was this soup. I was intrigued by the lemon and chicken combination.

I'm glad I tried this recipe. The lemon is not overpowering but adds just enough flavor to brighten up this chicken soup. It paired perfectly  with some crusty bread. The leftovers heated well, too.

Ingredients

1 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1 celery stalk, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups of chicken broth (I used reduced sodium)

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 2 lemons

1 bay leaf (I omitted because I didn't have any)

8 oz. orzo, uncooked

2 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste as desired

Directions

Place the olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables start to become tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Add the chicken and the orzo. Cook another 10 minutes or until orzo is cooked. 

Remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Add parsley, salt and pepper.

Yields: 6-8 servings

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