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14) Lemon Garlic Chicken Orzo Soup

This is the soup I make when someone in the house is getting sick and I need something warm and genuinely comforting on the table fast. The lemon zest is the detail that makes it taste fresh instead of heavy, and the spinach wilts into the broth so quietly that even the kids who claim to hate spinac
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 carrots sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 celery stalks sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup orzo pasta
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion, carrots, and celery until soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and oregano, cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and simmer 8-10 minutes until tender.
  4. Add shredded chicken, lemon juice, zest, and spinach. Simmer 2-3 minutes until heated and spinach wilts.
  5. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve hot.