Lemon Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup orzo pasta or rice
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sauté onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil for 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and diced chicken; season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in broth and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add orzo (or rice) and simmer until tender (8-10 mins for orzo).
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Fold in fresh dill and parsley.
- Taste for seasoning and serve warm.
Notes
Use fresh lemons only; bottled juice will result in a flat, bitter flavor.
If making ahead, cook pasta separately to prevent it from soaking up all the broth.
Rotisserie chicken can be swapped in—add it at the very end with the herbs.
Add fresh spinach at the end for an extra nutritional boost.
Tempering eggs into the soup (Avgolemono style) will make it creamy without dairy.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days; add a splash of water when reheating if the grains absorbed the broth.