Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

With the fall season just gone, the low temperatures have definitely started to take over! As I get ready for the winter mood, we have decided to stay extra cozy this year to deal with the cold. Honestly, I am not too much of a winter person, probably because I grew up in Cuba where the temperatures rarely get below 60F (around 15C). Nonetheless, after almost 7 years of living in Washington D.C, New York, and Europe, I have now become quite good at keeping cozy and making the best out of the winter.

I love a good hot chocolate, a Kenyan tea with milk in the afternoon, a mulled wine or a Baileys after dinner. Nonetheless, my favorite thing this year has been Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. We came up with this recipe after a bit of research when needing some comfort food when I had a bad cold. This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe is very easy to make and it could be a great go-to if you are traveling to a cold country and feel under the weather. I know I have been sick several times during my trips, especially in the winter, and I have wished I knew about this sooner.

This is not your regular chicken soup, and even if you have had a lemon chicken orzo soup before you’ll need to try this one because our recipe is simple and easy, yet so delicious that it will become your favorite this winter.

One of the things I have been trying to live by for almost 3 years now is to eat only whole foods and mostly organic things. Although there are days when doing so is difficult, especially while traveling to certain destinations, this recipe is a great way to combine healthy and delicious eating.

creamy lemon chicken orzo soup- INGREDIENTS:

• whole roast chicken

• olive oil

• salt, freshly ground black pepper, parsley and herbs

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 lemons

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta (a type of pasta shaped like a large grain of rice)

• 3 eggs

As you can see, you won’t need too many ingredients for this recipe. This makes it that much easier to prepare, even if we are traveling for work or vacation. These ingredients are very common, so you can always run to the grocery store, grab a few things (lemon, chicken, orzo etc), and easily prepare this delicious soup. 

As an extra note before moving on to the directions, for those that don’t have tons of time or want an easier alternative, you can buy a roasted/rotisserie chicken in the supermarket and skip to step 5. To be honest, we often buy the chicken already roasted as it saves a great amount of time, but it you plan to make this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe on a Sunday while chilling at home or when you have time to spare, I definitely recommend roasting it yourself!

On a final note, if you want to make a super quick lemon orzo soup then you can buy a pre-made broth and two chicken breasts or some thighs instead of a full chicken. If you choose this option, you are welcome to skip to step 9.

How to make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup?

First we’ll prepare the roasted chicken.

1. Preheat the oven to around 170-190C (depending on the oven).

2. Season the cavity of the chicken and the outside with a mix of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, parsley, herbs and the minced garlic.

3. Stuff with 2 lemon halves, some minced garlic and some of the herbs.

4. .Place in the oven and leave for approximately 1 hr 15 mins.To check if the chicken is ready, pierce the thigh and see if the juices run clear.

Then we’ll move to the broth

Once the chicken is roasted and ready, let it sit for around 15 minutes before you start cutting the pieces and separating the bones to proceed to prepare the broth. If you bought the chicken already roasted, simply separate the meat from the bones and the pieces you won’t eat. While doing so, proceed to...

1. Heat a few cups of water and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

2. Add the chicken bones and the parts that you are not going to eat. Boil over medium heat with a lid on the pot.

3. Let it cook until the color of the water becomes golden.

4. Drain the bones and the leftover chicken from the broth before putting the broth back in the pot, this time over low heat.

It’s now time to prepare our delicious lemon chicken orzo soup. 

1. With the broth on the stove over low heat, add salt, freshly ground black pepper, parsley, herbs and the rest of the garlic. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.

2. Add the dried orzo to the stockpot and cook for about 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat; then set the pot to the side (off the heat).

3. Mix the three eggs (yolk and whites) in a separate bowl.

4. Once the eggs are mixed, add them to the stockpot slowly while stirring very quickly at the same time. This is key for the eggs to disappear in the mix and not scramble. It’s also good to make sure the broth isn’t too hot to avoid this.

5. Put the stockpot back on the stove, this time over medium heat and add the roasted chicken and lemon juice.

6. Stir until it becomes creamy; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

7. Add some more freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste (if you need some more of that delicious citrusy flavor!).

8. Serve immediately.

P.S. Don’t be afraid of adding lots of lemon juice to the soup or the chicken. I find that the lemon juice is what makes this lemon chicken orzo soup so delicious!

I hope you guys try it and enjoy it as much as we do, and that it helps keep you warm during the upcoming winter months!

Let me know what you think about this recipe for lemon chicken orzo soup in the comments, and Pin It for later. You never know when you’ll be in need of a delicious soup!

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment a bit! This recipe is delicious, but very simple. You can definitely play around with some different flavors and additions to the base recipe. Let me know if you come up with some really good ones!

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Besitos from the kitchen,

Laura

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