Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Cure a cold with this easy lemon chicken orzo soup, packed with arugula, basil, carrots and whole grain orzo. The bold yet gentle flavors in this recipe are the perfect combination to soothe a scratchy throat. The recipe takes less than 30 minutes to whip up a richly flavored soup on a weeknight!
Is anyone else currently dying a slow, painful death like I am right now? Maybe it's my affinity for drama speaking, but honestly, I have felt horrible these past two weeks! I seem to get sick every year when the weather changes. Unfortunately, with the temperature flipping between 40 and 80 degrees for the past two months, this year has been worse than normal. My throat hurts, my nose is runny, and my ears are constantly ringing...although that last one probably has more to do with our neighbors new heavy metal band. As much fun as I had this weekend in OBX celebrating a friends upcoming nuptials, it didn’t exactly speed up my healing process. I was only at work 15 minutes on Monday before I caught myself asking "Is it Friday yet?" Clearly, I'm exhausted.
I truly believe homemade chicken soup can cure all ills. Remember the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and his obsession with windex? That's on par with my feelings about chicken soup. You might brush it off as an old wives tale, but chicken soup has been recommended by physicians since ancient Egyptian times. There's even research to back up it's efficacy. Yup, someone actually did a study on chicken noodle soup for colds. The researcher found chicken soup has an anti-inflammatory effect that inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis, which is apparently the source of many cold and flu related symptoms (who knew?).
Sick with a cold in the midst of a South Carolina spring, my typical root vegetable heavy chicken noodle soup recipes just wouldn't do. This recipe for easy lemon chicken orzo soup is packed with flavorful spring greens, herbs, and bright lemon zest. While my cold isn't exactly cured, I sure felt a heck of a lot better while eating this!
Tips for freezing:
This recipe is great for making a big batch at a time and stocking up on extra! Just fill up a few gallon zip-lock freezer bags and store the extra soup in the freezer until needed (no longer than 6 months). When you’re ready to eat, place the frozen bag of the lemon chicken orzo soup in the refrigerator to thaw, then reheat on the stove or in a microwavable bowl.
Soup and Salad Pairings:
This easy lemon chicken orzo soup is nice and light, perfect if you have a cold or stomach bug! But if you want a more satisfying meal, pair it with a soup or salad to round it out. Here’s some ideas from the blog:
Chicken and Orzo Soup with Arugula
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Large pinch of red pepper flakes
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2/3 cup orzo
4 cups arugula
1/2 cup basil leaves
Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half a lemon
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot on medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pot and brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to the pot. When hot, stir in the onion, carrots, and garlic, Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute.
Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the cooked chicken and orzo and simmer until al dente, about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the arugula and basil until wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, stir in the lemon zest and juice, and serve with grated parmesan cheese.
More soothing soup recipes:
Best Ever Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Butternut Squash Tortilla Soup with White Beans
Spinach Apple Soup with Goat and Cheddar Grilled Cheese
