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lemon chicken orzo soup

reidweaver avatar
Recipe by
Barbara Kelly
@reidweaver
Rising Sun, MD

What a great soup for a chilly night, after church on Sunday, and when a loved one isn't feeling well. It's low fat, and even though it is not low sodium, it's much lower sodium than store-bought soup and it's full of flavor. This is also a great soup to preserve. For a fast version on a work day, simply use ready-made chicken stock and a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Enjoy!

yield 8 to 10
prep time 30 Min
cook time 3 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For lemon chicken orzo soup

  • THE NIGHT BEFORE
  • 1 md
    roaster chicken (about 4 lbs)
  • 1
    onion, quartered
  • 2
    carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalk
    celery chopped
  • 4 sprig
    fresh thyme
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • Tbsp
    salt
  • SERVING DAY
  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil, extra virgin
  • 2 stalk
    celery, diced
  • 2
    carrots, diced
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 2
    lemons, juiced and zested
  • 1/4 c
    dry sherry
  • 1/2 lb
    orzo pasta, uncooked

How To Make lemon chicken orzo soup

  • 1
    The night before place the chicken in a large stock pot, add 2 carrots and 2 celery, onion, thyme, tablespoon salt and bay leaf. Cover with water. Cook until chicken legs will easily pull off.
  • 2
    Remove chicken from pot and place in separate bowl to cool. Remove cooked vegetables, bay leaf and thyme.
  • 3
    Cover stock and refrigerate overnight.
  • 4
    Serving Day: Take refrigerated stock and scoop off the fat.
  • 5
    Remove chicken from bone and shred. Save half of shredded chicken for another time.
  • 6
    Sauté minced garlic, diced carrots and celery until tender. Add to stock.
  • 7
    Deglaze pan with sherry until reduced by half. Add to stock.
  • 8
    Add shredded chicken to stock and bring to a boil.
  • 9
    Zest and juice both lemons and add to stock.
  • 10
    Once the soup is at a boil, add 1/2 pound uncooked orzo and cook until done.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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