About
Hear us out, even though the thermometer is up there, you can still enjoy a pot of soup! Summer Chicken Orzo is a simple way to get your soup fix and you'll be delighted to find that the results are light, citrusy, and loaded with tender chicken and veggies. You can even walk away from the pot for most of the cook time so you won't have to worry about sweating! It's truly perfect! That said, when you're tired of all the grilling and you need a little taste of warm, wintery comfort, the Summer Chicken Orzo is the way to go!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks celery, cut into small pieces
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, plus more, to taste, whole sprigs, for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 pounds split chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup orzo
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Directions
Step 1 -In a medium Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil.
Step 2 -Add the carrots, the celery, the leeks, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt to the heated oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks have softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 3 -Use a sharp knife to cut 4 wide strips of the zest off of the lemon, then squeeze 1/4 cup of the juice from it. Reserve the lemon juice.
Step 4 -Add the lemon zest strips, 1 tablespoon of the chopped thyme, the bay leaves, and the chicken breasts to the veggie mixture and evenly cover with the chicken broth and the water.
Step 5 -Bring the soup mixture to a simmer and cook until the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 6 -Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board and use two forks to shred the meat. Discard the skin and the bones.
Step 7 -Bring the soup mixture to a simmer.
Step 8 -Add the orzo to the soup mixture and cook until the orzo is just tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 9 -Add the shredded chicken to the soup mixture and cook until the meat is heated through.
Step 10 -Transfer the Dutch oven from the heat and remove and discard the lemon zest and the bay leaves.
Step 11 -Taste the soup and season with the extra salt, as needed.
Step 12 -Stir the reserved lemon juice and the dill into the soup.
Step 13 -Serve the soup garnished with the extra thyme sprigs.
