Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Ingredients

• orzo pasta (8 ounces)
• olive oil (1 teaspoon)
• carrots (3 medium)
• celery (3 ribs)
• onion (1 medium)
• garlic (2 cloves)
• dried thyme (0.5 teaspoon)
• dried oregano (0.5 teaspoon)
• salt (0 )
• black pepper (0 )
• bay leaf (1 )
• chicken broth (96 ounces)
• fresh lemon juice (0.5 cup)
• lemon zest (1 )
• cooked chicken breast (8 ounces)
• baby spinach leaves (8 ounces)
• lemon (1 )
• grated Parmesan cheese (0.25 cup)

Instructions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in orzo and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered until partially cooked through but not yet soft, about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water until cooled completely.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften and onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season mixture with thyme, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper; continue cooking another 30 seconds before pouring chicken broth into the pot.
4. Bring broth to a boil. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir orzo, lemon juice, and lemon zest into broth; add chicken. Cook until chicken and orzo are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add baby spinach; cook until spinach wilts into broth and orzo is tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

(*Nutrition data is approximate and may vary depending on the brand and type of ingredients used.)

• kcal: 167
• fat: 4 g
• sats: 2 g
• carbs: 22 g
• fibre: 3 g
• protein: 12 g
• salt: 0 g