Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Name: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 8 ounces orzo pasta 8 ounces orzo pasta; 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon olive oil; 3 medium carrots, chopped, or more to taste 3 medium carrots, chopped, or more to taste; 3 ribs celery, chopped 3 ribs celery, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced; ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon dried oregano, salt and ground black pepper to taste ½ teaspoon dried oregano, salt and ground black pepper to taste; 1 bay leaf 1 bay leaf; 3 (32 ounce) cartons fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth 3 (32 ounce) cartons fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth; ½ cup fresh lemon juice ½ cup fresh lemon juice; 1 lemon, zested 1 lemon, zested; 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped; 1 (8 ounce) package baby spinach leaves 1 (8 ounce) package baby spinach leaves; 1 lemon, sliced for garnish (Optional) 1 lemon, sliced for garnish (optional); ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Optional) ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Prep: 20 minsCook: 1 hr

Prep

20 mins

Cook

1 hr

Servings

Difficulty

Hard

(0)

Ingredients

Servings:

88 ounces orzo pasta
11 teaspoon olive oil
33 medium carrots, chopped, or more to taste
33 ribs celery, chopped
11 medium onion, chopped
22 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano, salt and ground black pepper to taste½ teaspoon dried oregano, salt and ground black pepper to taste
11 bay leaf
33 (32 ounce) cartons fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup fresh lemon juice½ cup fresh lemon juice
11 lemon, zested
88 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped
11 (8 ounce) package baby spinach leaves
11 lemon, sliced for garnish (optional)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in orzo and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered until partially cooked through but not yet soft, about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water until cooled completely.
2
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften and onion becomes translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season mixture with thyme, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper; continue cooking another 30 seconds before pouring chicken broth into the pot.
3
Bring broth to a boil. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
4
Stir orzo, lemon juice, and lemon zest into broth; add chicken. Cook until chicken and orzo are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add baby spinach; cook until spinach wilts into broth and orzo is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese.

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