Lemon Garlic Chicken & Orzo Soup

Shannon — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 15:46:10 +0000

Yesterday it was extremely cold and blustery outside and I just couldn’t warm up. All I could think about was eating a nice, piping hot bowl of homemade soup! I had no intentions of running to the grocery store, so I decided I was going to make a big pot of soup with whatever I had on hand. I had purchased a small whole chicken last week when they were on sale, so along with basic vegetables I also had on hand, I was off to a good start. I love lemon and garlic, so I added them to the broth as well. There is nothing better than a soup made with a tasty homemade broth this time of year! Even if the soup is simple, a flavorful homemade broth warms you up like no other. A pot of chicken, vegetables, and fresh herbs simmering away on the stove is one of my favorite ways to bring comfort to my family on a chilly day and make my home feel cozy.

This Lemon Garlic Chicken & Orzo Soup is a simple, filling soup. Celery, onion, carrots, garlic, lemon and parsley along with bay leaf, sea salt and black peppercorns simmer together while poaching the tender chicken to make a delicious broth. Add a handful of fresh spinach and orzo pasta and you’ve got yourself a lovely, warm meal waiting for your family when they come in from the cold. Whenever we have left over soup, we usually eat it the next day for lunch. This soup is freezer friendly, so you can always freeze any leftover soup you may have for another chilly day too. This soup is great topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or served with a grilled cheese sandwich or crackers. Stay warm and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (5 lb.) whole chicken, rinsed
2 large onions, quartered
4 stalks of celery with leaves, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 small lemon, sliced and seeds removed (wash off the lemon first)
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1/2 Tbsp - 1 Tbsp. sea salt (start with half, you can always add more later if needed)
8 cups fresh, cold water
1/2 lb. to 1 lb. orzo pasta (depending on how much pasta you like in your soup), cooked to al dente and then rinsed
1 large handful of fresh spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped

Instructions

Place all ingredients in your Dutch Oven except for the spinach and orzo pasta.
Cover and simmer over medium - low heat for 2 hours or until the chicken begins to fall apart.
You may have to turn the heat down a bit if anything begins to bubble out of the pot.
Carefully remove the chicken to a plate to cool slightly.
Remove the cooked carrots to a separate plate with a slotted spoon.
Carefully pour the broth through a strainer to remove the onions, celery, parsley and bay leave.
Then ladle the broth through a fat separator to remove the fat and pour the broth back into the Dutch Oven.
If you do not have a fat separator, you can take the bowl you strained the broth into, cover it with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator to cool and then scrap the fat off of the top, then return the broth to the Dutch Oven.
Cook the pasta, rinse and set aside.
Chop the carrots you set aside earlier.
Remove all of the meat from the chicken.
Place the lid on the Dutch Oven and bring the broth to a low boil on medium, low heat.
Add the spinach and remain heating just until the spinach has wilted.
Turn off the heat, add the chicken, carrots and orzo.
Season to taste and serve hot.
This soup tastes great with a touch of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or served with a grilled cheese sandwich or crackers.
Serves 8.
* If freezing, let soup cool completely and store in a freezer friendly storage bag or plastic container.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/lemon-garlic-chicken-orzo-soup/

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Lemon Garlic Chicken & Orzo Soup