I really love soup. I like to make it on the weekend, and then take it for lunch during the week. It’s filling and satisfying - and most of the time calorie friendly. I’ve seen a couple of recipes for Lemon Chicken Orzo soup and created this version as a combination of all of them. It’s easy and the extra work of roasting the chicken pays off with the extra rich flavor of the homemade chicken stock.
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken, cut into pieces
Seasoning salt
4 celery ribs cut in half or thirds
2 carrots cut into half or thirds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
7 cups water
1 onion cut in half
1 cup water
1 cup orzo
1 celery heart, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cup of baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
Directions:
Cut the chicken into pieces – 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, and back. Remove the skin from the thighs and drumsticks; season with seasoning salt. Place on a baking sheet with sides or in a baking dish. Cook in 400 degree oven for 1 ½ hours – turning every 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven. After removing the chicken pieces from the roasting pan add the one cup of warm water to the roasting pan. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. I allowed the warm water to sit in the pan while I worked on the next step. I came back every few minutes and scraped the bottom of the pan with a spatula. You want to get all of that brown goodness to add to your soup.
Place chicken back, and wings into a soup pot. Remove the chicken meat from the breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Place bones in soup pot as well. Add water, 4 celery ribs, 2 carrots, onion cut in half and garlic cloves. Add water from roasting pan as well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Strain the chicken stock into a clean soup pot. Add the chopped celery heart, onion and carrots to the soup pot, along with a bit more water – if needed. Cook for about 45 minutes.
Cut the chicken meat into bite sized pieces; add to the soup pot along with the orzo. Continue cooking until the orzo is done.
Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to the soup. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
When you serve you could sprinkle with some fresh parsley, or basil, or dill. Delish!
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken, cut into pieces
Seasoning salt
4 celery ribs cut in half or thirds
2 carrots cut into half or thirds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
7 cups water
1 onion cut in half
1 cup water
1 cup orzo
1 celery heart, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cup of baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
Directions:
Cut the chicken into pieces – 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, and back. Remove the skin from the thighs and drumsticks; season with seasoning salt. Place on a baking sheet with sides or in a baking dish. Cook in 400 degree oven for 1 ½ hours – turning every 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven. After removing the chicken pieces from the roasting pan add the one cup of warm water to the roasting pan. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. I allowed the warm water to sit in the pan while I worked on the next step. I came back every few minutes and scraped the bottom of the pan with a spatula. You want to get all of that brown goodness to add to your soup.
Place chicken back, and wings into a soup pot. Remove the chicken meat from the breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Place bones in soup pot as well. Add water, 4 celery ribs, 2 carrots, onion cut in half and garlic cloves. Add water from roasting pan as well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Strain the chicken stock into a clean soup pot. Add the chopped celery heart, onion and carrots to the soup pot, along with a bit more water – if needed. Cook for about 45 minutes.
Cut the chicken meat into bite sized pieces; add to the soup pot along with the orzo. Continue cooking until the orzo is done.
Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to the soup. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
When you serve you could sprinkle with some fresh parsley, or basil, or dill. Delish!
4 comments:
I heart orzo. I also heart homemade chicken stock. Every three months or so I pull out my gigantic, industrial 60 qt stock pot and spend a couple of days simmering a rich chicken stock on the stove. I usual end up with about five to six gallons, once it is finally to my liking, and I am able to pour into quart size containers and freeze for use for the next several months. The flavor can't be beat. It really IS worth that extra step. This soup looks/sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Very tasty, I enjoyed this last weekend.
I would agree that the bit of extra work would add to the richness. I must try that the next time I make a chicken soup. This one sounds just delightful:)
Thank you for the recipe. I have made it several times. Yesterday I took it to my daughter's house as she had a cold. She and her hubby loved it. Tomorrow I am making it again for my neighbor.
Is it ok to leave the skin on the thighs & drumstick, to keep them from drying out during roasting?
Madeleine
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