Creamy Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

The cool breeze calls for a creamy lemon orzo chicken soup! This recipe by Tatyana’s Everyday Food is hearty, light and comforting. Keep yourself warm with this yummy soup served with toasted bread on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs of chicken thighs or chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
• sea salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of salted butter
• 1 large sweet onion (diced)
• 2 large carrots (diced)
• 3 celery sticks (diced)
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white wine
• 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of orzo pasta
• 1 1/2 cups of cream or half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese
• zest from 2 large lemons
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill

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Instructions

Step 1:

Prepare the chicken. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and place them in a bowl. Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Drizzle avocado oil. Once it’s smoky, add half of the sliced chicken. Season with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pot using a slotted spatula and transfer to a bowl. Continue with the remaining chicken.

Step 2:

Make the base of the soup. In the same pot, add a few tablespoons of butter, diced onion, diced carrots, and diced celery. Saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until the onion is translucent and the carrots are tender.

Step 3:

Pour the white wine and lemon juice. Allow the wine to reduce in half. Let it simmer on medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 4:

Pour the chicken broth and return the browned chicken to the pot. Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5:

Add the orzo pasta and cook according to package instructions.

Step 6:

Once the pasta is cooked, add the cream and parmesan cheese, parsley, dill, and the zest of 2 large lemons. Heat the soup until it comes to a low, slow simmer, then remove from heat. Cover it with the lid and let the soup stand for 30 minutes to thicken.

Step 7:

Top each bowl with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with buttered, toasted bread.

Creamy Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup