Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1⅓ cups carrots, chopped
1⅓ cups onions, chopped finely
1 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2½ teaspoons lemon peel, grated
2 teaspoons salt

9 cups chicken stock
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 rotisserie-cooked chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
4 ounces orzo pasta, uncooked (about 3/4 cup)

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely cracked (optional)
¼ cup romano cheese, grated (optional)


Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot.

Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, lemon zest and salt. Saute ingredients over medium heat until vegetables begin to soften.

Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

Add the chicken and *orzo. Simmer until orzo is cooked through.

Just before serving add parsley and remove bay leaf. Garnish with salt and black pepper if needed and Romano cheese if desired.

* Note: If you're serving right away you can add the orzo pasta and chicken at the same time until the orzo is cooked. If you plan on serving later it at a later time you may want to cook the orzo separately and add right before serving. The orzo pasta tends to soak up all the liquid and can become quite thick if you simmer the soup for a long time. You can always add more chicken stock if you want to thin it out a little.

Serves approx. 6