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This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a comforting and easy meal for any night of the week. the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a comforting and easy meal for any night of the week.

Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Yield 6 servingsso
Author Christy Denney

Ingredients

  • 9 cups chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 1/3 cups carrots, chopped
  • 1 1/3 cups onions, chopped finely
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 rotisserie-cooked chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
  • 8 ounces orzo pasta, uncooked (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely cracked (optional)
  • 1/4 cup romano cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot.
  2. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, lemon zest and salt. Saute ingredients over medium heat until vegetables begin to soften.
  3. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
  4. Add the chicken and orzo. Simmer until orzo is cooked through. (see Note not serving soup right away)
  5. Just before serving add parsley and remove bay leaf. Garnish with salt and black pepper if needed and Romano cheese if desired.

Recipe Notes

If you're serving right away you can add the orzo pasta and chicken at the same time until the orzo is cooked. If you plan on serving later it at a later time you may want to cook the orzo separately and add right before serving. The orzo pasta tends to soak up all the liquid and can become quite thick if you simmer the soup for a long time. You can always add more chicken stock if you want to thin it out a little.

Source: slightly adapted from Food.com