Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Weeknight meals need to be quick , easy and crowd pleasers. I found this soup years ago and I often make it weekly through the chilly months. All of my kids will eat it! My toddlers would occasionally request a straw for the broth. You can easily scoop more or less broth (or more or less veggies and chicken)  into the bowl to make it easier for your littlest ones. Feel free to switch up the noodles! Gemelli or elbows or any shaped noodle will work. While the original recipe calls for the orzo to be cooked directly in the soup pot, I prefer to cook the noodles separately. I'll scoop noodles into each bowl prior to topping off with the soup. This way, if there are left overs, the pasta wont absorb all the broth. 

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP

yield: 6 servings prep: 10 mins cook: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 sprig rosemary
• Juice of 1 lemon (we use more than 1 lemon usually!)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in rosemary and chicken, and let simmer while the orzo cooks. 

In another pot, cook orzo or noodle of your choice

Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately.

 adapted from the Damn Delicious blog