Description
This is basically sunshine in a bowl! I came up with this recipe one winter when my roommate was sick and nothing was helping. It’s like traditional chicken soup got a major upgrade with bright lemon, herbs, and those tiny little orzo pasta shapes that soak up all the flavor. It’s somehow both crazy comforting AND refreshing at the same time. The lemon adds this zingy brightness that cuts through everything and wakes up your taste buds. This soup has serious healing powers – I’m not saying it’s magic, but my roommate did feel better after one bowl!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Soup Base:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (the decent stuff, not the super fancy bottle)
- 1 large onion, diced (yellow or white, whatever’s rolling around in your veggie drawer)
- 3 medium carrots, sliced into coins (or half-moons if they’re thick)
- 3 celery stalks, sliced (include some of the leaves if you have ’em – extra flavor!)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I won’t judge)
- 8 cups chicken broth (homemade if you’re showing off, boxed if you’re normal)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or a couple sprigs fresh)
- Salt and black pepper (be generous with both)
For the Chicken:
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer more flavor)
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper for seasoning
For the Orzo:
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta (the little rice-shaped stuff)
For the Lemony Finish:
- Juice from 2–3 lemons (about 1/4–1/3 cup, depending how lemony you like it)
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (the dried stuff just isn’t the same here)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Big handful of baby spinach (optional but adds color and sneaky nutrients)
- Extra lemon slices for serving
- Crumbled feta cheese for serving (optional but HIGHLY recommended)