Chicken Soup with Lemon and Orzo

Chicken soup with lemon and orzo: think of it as a fancier upgrade to the classic chicken noodle soup.

I.e. A fancier upgrade in which orzo takes the place of the classic egg noodle, and there are leeks instead of onion.  And a handful of cilantro and a quick squeeze of lemon take this recipe over the top.

Now, homemade chicken noodle soup has to be one of the easiest recipes on the planet and I have been making it for years.  The method is very simple- saute a few vegetables, boil some noodles, bake some chicken, then mix it all together.  And Voila!  Quick, healthy, and comforting dinner.This recipe is really no different method wise.  However the flavors of the leeks, lemon, and cilantro make this a more mature chicken noodle soup (and make Sarah sound extremely pretentious). If you’re not a cilantro fan, I think you could get away substituting with a variety of other herbs- the recipe is slightly adapted from Bon Appetit and calls for dill- which I haven’t tried, but seems like it would likely be a good idea (and would certainly complement the lemon).  I find dill a little bit overpowering for my taste, so I think thyme, parsley, or chives would be acceptable substitutions.

But I guarantee that the cilantro is good.  Trust me.   While I think chicken noodle soup is pretty fool-proof, the one recommendation that I do have is to boil the orzo separately before adding it to the broth.  I have had the experience of adding pasta to cooking liquid (i.e. the chicken broth), and the pasta soaks up so much liquid it’s barely considered soup at that point; and don’t get me started on overnight broth absoprtion… You can just go ahead and say goodbye to soupy leftovers.  Which is a travesty considering that when one makes soup one typically wants leftovers.   SO! My point is that pre-boiling ensures enough liquid will be absorbed by the pasta that it won’t end up drinking up all the soup and you can still plan to eat soup for leftovers without worry. The recipe also calls for pre-baking the chicken, which I also recommend, and then shredding or chopping and adding to the soup.    Then once you have all your separated ingredients prepared and prepped, you toss them all together in a large pot, add some stock, and bring it to a simmer.  Add the cilantro and lemon at the very end to preserve their freshness and flavor.   The soup is not overpoweringly lemony, so I’d recommend serving it with a wedge of lemon just in case you want your’s a little brighter.  I’m a lemon fan so I added more.

Dave did not.

The end. 🙂

Chicken Soup with Lemon and Orzo

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

  

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 medium leek sliced and chopped into ½ inch pieces (agitated in large bowl of water to remove any dirt/sand)
• 3 stalks of celery sliced into ½ inch pieces (discard tops and white parts)
• ½ cup dry orzo
• ½ lemon plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus extra for garnish
• A few dashes of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place raw chicken into a baking dish, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
• Then remove chicken from oven and slice into bite-sized cubes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Add orzo and boil for about 8-9 minutes, or until orzo is cooked. Drain and set aside.
• In a large stockpot, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add sliced leeks and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.
• Pour in chicken stock. Add cubed chicken. Bring mixture to a boil.
• Simmer for about 5 minutes then reduce heat. Season broth to taste with salt (I used about 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, but use more or less depending on saltiness level of your chicken stock). Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper as well for heat.
• At the very end, add orzo to the pot, juice of ½ lemon and the chopped cilantro. Stir well to combine.
• Serve garnished with a lemon wedge and extra cilantro.
• Serves 6 people.