Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is cozy, bursting with flavor, and easy to make. It's the perfect light, bright addition to your soup rotation - you're going to love it!
Servings: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped *See Note 1
- 8 ounces dried orzo
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 head lacinato kale, de-stemmed and cut into small pieces
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 2 lemons, about ½ cup
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Fresh parmesan, grated, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium/high heat, add the olive oil. Season the chicken thighs with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and place salted-side down in the hot pan. Season the upward facing side with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sear the chicken over medium/high heat until a golden brown char starts to develop, about 4-5 minutes. Flip over and sear for an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the butter, shallot, garlic, and thyme. Stir to combine and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, or until the shallot and garlic start to darken in color.
- Place the chicken back in the pot and add the chicken broth and remaining sea salt. Put lid on the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the orzo and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. I recommend stirring every 3-4 minutes to make sure the orzo doesn't adhere to the bottom of the pot. Also note: if you're using a cassava orzo (which is a gluten-free orzo) you'll notice that your soup thickens as it cooks.
- Remove the chicken, shred with a fork and return to the bowl with the kale, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining salt, and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook just until the kale is wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan and enjoy!
Notes
*Note 1: you can also use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 2474mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg