Description
A comforting and hearty chicken orzo soup loaded with fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 chopped yellow onion
- 2 sliced carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 leek (optional)
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup orzo pasta
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
- Juice of 1 fresh lemon
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add your chopped yellow onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- If using leeks, add them now and cook for another 3-4 minutes until tender.
- Stir in your minced garlic and cook for just 1 minute until fragrant. Be careful not to burn it!
- Now, add your boneless, skinless chicken breasts directly to the pot. Sear them lightly for a minute on each side; they don’t need to be cooked through, just get a little color.
- Pour in about half a cup of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Then, pour in the remaining chicken broth. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chicken cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and easily shreds with two forks.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool slightly.
- Increase the heat back to medium-low. Add the orzo pasta to the simmering broth. Cook according to package directions, usually around 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- While the orzo cooks, shred the cooked chicken using two forks or your hands. Once shredded, return the chicken to the soup pot.
- Stir in the frozen green peas and fresh spinach. Cook for just 2-3 minutes, until the peas are heated through and the spinach has wilted.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the generous amount of fresh chopped dill and the fresh lemon juice. Taste the soup and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
Notes
- This soup pairs well with crusty bread.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg