This is a twist off of a recipe I watched Giada De Laurentiis make on TV. Believe it or not, I’ve only recently gotten the taste for chicken soup. It was never one of my faves growing up, but sure is now!
The lemon in this broth makes this soup refreshing and sooooo tasty!!!! You’ll be missing out if you don’t try to make it.
Chop 1 leek, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks. Wash the leaks well! In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped veggies, salt and pepper. Let them soften.
This nifty yellow tool is called a citrus reamer. They make juicing lemons and limes so easy, and are an inexpensive addition to your utensil drawer. Juice 2 lemons. Add the juice along with 64 ounces of chicken stock to the pot.
Once the broth starts to heat up, add 1 bay leaf and the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese. Trust me, these tiny ingredients make a huge difference!
Cut the meat from a roasted chicken (You can buy them already cooked at almost every supermarket. Make your life easy.). For this amount of soup, I used a little more than half of the meat. Add whatever amount you think would taste best. Chop a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley. Add both to the pot.
Bring everything to a boil, and add a handful of orzo. A little orzo goes a long way. 1/2 a cup usually is enough.
Once the pasta is cooked, remove the bay leaf and cheese rind. Laddle into a bowl, top with more parseley and sprinkle with a little Parmesean cheese. Yum yum yum!
Try my other soup/stew recipes if chicken soup isn’t one of your favorites either.