A modern makeover of a classic recipe. This version has been molded into a light, elegant and refreshing chicken soup that is full of vegetables and flavor. Perfect for a light dinner.
Who doesn’t love chicken soup? It is a dish that has been around for ages, and a dish that most of us have had at least once in our lifetime. We took a basic chicken soup and transformed it into something spectacular. We added fresh lemon juice, orzo pasta and baby spinach to help perk up the all-time favorite. I find that rotisserie chicken comes in extremely handy for this recipe, especially for busy moms on the go.
Lemony chicken soup with orzo and baby spinach recipe
Seves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 quarts of good-quality chicken stock (I use homemade chicken stock)
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (washed, you can add the whole leaf or roughly chop them)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
- Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat the bottom with the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
- Add in the chicken stock and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and simmer for about five to seven minutes or until the orzo is cooked.
- Add the chicken and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Right before serving add all of the fresh spinach leaves to the soup. Cook a few minutes longer, stirring well just until the spinach leaves start to wilt.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
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