After a weekend of Super Bowl snacking this soup is a nice return to lighter fare. It’s also our favorite comfort food when someone’s are not feeling well — especially now that we’re in flu season. (You can take a short cut and get a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own chicken.)
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 T olive oil
- 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, chopped into small chunks
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1 ½ cup of onion, diced
- 4 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 tsp of fresh chopped thyme or 2 tsp of dried
- 12 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups of orzo
- 4 eggs
- 6 Tbs of lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken with the salt, add it to the pot, and cook, stirring, a few times, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbs of oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add 11 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling. Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while.
- Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do not let the soup come to a boil. Add the cooked chicken to the soup.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Makes 8 servings Serving size: 1 1/2 cups