11.09.2018

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

TGIF readers!

What a week it has been here!

I came down with a cold Sunday, had to travel for work Tuesday-Wednesday, took a sick day yesterday, and am finally feeling on the mend today! On top of that, Bryce and I have been ships in the night. He left Sunday morning for a conference, got home Tuesday (while I was traveling), we had Wednesday night together, and then he packed up again yesterday to head to South Carolina for a work shoot. He'll be back late tomorrow night.

I had promised my "Must Have Vests" post this week, and had planned to take photos and write that post on Sunday but was feeling too crummy. I always get requests for more recipe posts, though, so hopefully today won't disappoint.

Aside from bingeing The Affair (still can't decide if I like it or not) and snuggling Millie, the only thing I accomplished on Sunday was making a big pot of soup. Nothing brings comfort during a cold like chicken noodle soup and this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is the perfect spin on the classic. The original recipe was found on Good Life Eats and I'm sharing my slightly modified version below.



Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
For the chicken:
1 lb chicken (I used chicken breast tenderloins)
half of a lemon, sliced
handful of fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 c water
1/2 c chicken broth
salt
pepper

For the soup:
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
1/3 c white wine
3 carrots, sliced into rounds
7 1/2 c chicken broth
3/4 c orzo pasta, uncooked
3 egg yolks
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbs fresh parsley, minced
2-3 large handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
salt
pepper

Directions
For the chicken:
Combine all ingredients in pot on stovetop. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes.

Remove from heat, drain, and shred (this trick is life changing).

Set aside.

For the soup:
Add 1 tbs olive oil into large dutch oven. Saute the onion over medium-high heat until golden and tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

Add the white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and carrot. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and lemon together. Add 1 cup of hot broth from the dutch oven very slowly to the egg yolk mixture, whisking as you pour. Then, transfer the mixture to the dutch oven. Stir in the orzo and the chicken.

Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the pasta and carrots are tender, 15-20 minutes. Add the parsley and spinach, and stir until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!



This soup was just what the doctor ordered! I ate it for dinner that night, shared some with my mother-in-law who watched Millie while Bryce and I both were traveling, and froze the rest for us to eat for dinner another night soon. In fact, making soup on Sundays has become a bit of a tradition this year. It's so comforting for a Sunday night, and perfect to freeze for a simple meal later.

What are some of your favorite soups?

What comfort foods do you crave when you're under the weather?

Have a great weekend!