Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a comforting and easy meal for any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/3 cups carrots chopped, (about 2 large carrots)
- 1 1/3 cups celery chopped, (about 2 large celery stalks)
- 1 cup onion chopped finely, (about 1/2 an onion)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
- 1 rotisserie chicken shredded (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- grated Parmesan or Romano cheese optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and melt butter in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Sautee for about 5 minutes or until veggies are soft. Add the garlic and cook for thirty seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for one minute. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and Italian seasonings.
- Add the orzo and simmer until orzo is cooked through about 10 minutes (see Note not serving soup right away). Stir in the chicken until heated through.
- Just before serving add parsley and remove bay leaf. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add Romano or Parmesan cheese if desired.
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.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 776mg, Potassium: 732mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 4927IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 2mg