Description
Inspired by Panera Bread’s version, this soup delivers on flavor. Tender chicken in a lemony broth with orzo pasta, carrots, onions, celery, and baby spinach. This has quickly become one of my family’s very favorite soup recipes.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces orzo pasta
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 carrots, chopped, or more to taste
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 (32 ounce) cartons fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested
- 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package baby spinach leaves
- 1 lemon, sliced for garnish (Optional)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in orzo and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered until partially cooked through but not yet soft
- about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water until cooled completely.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots
- celery
- and onion; cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften and onion becomes translucent
- 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant
- about 1 minute more. Season mixture with thyme
- oregano
- bay leaf
- salt
- and black pepper; continue cooking another 30 seconds before pouring chicken broth into the pot.
- Bring broth to a boil. Partially cover the pot
- reduce heat to medium-low
- and simmer until vegetables are just tender
- about 10 minutes.
- Stir orzo
- lemon juice
- and lemon zest into broth; add chicken. Cook until chicken and orzo are heated through
- about 5 minutes. Add baby spinach; cook until spinach wilts into broth and orzo is tender
- 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 12