Spring time is kinda funny to me. It’s exciting that the sun is out and you get to get outside more but it also can be pouring rain on you at the drop of the hat. You still want to be a little bit cozy but you also want to be fresh and new like everything else at this time of the year.
That’s how this soup is because it’s chicken soup, so it’s naturally cozy and the little orzo noodles help with that too. But because it has lemon and dill it’s fresh and new and springy. It’s the perfect spring soup for when you still want to eat soup and pasta but also want to feel bright and happy.
Jump to RecipeI have seen many a soup recipe that says to cook your noodles in the liquid while you are making the soup. Insert face-planting emoji here. I am highly against this. Nobody wants soggy noodles! And if you dare to have leftovers and leave those noodles in the soup overnight you go to heat up your soup the next day to find out that it has somehow morphed into soggy pasta instead. Please do yourself a favor and cook your noodles separately. This is coming from a girl with a tiny kitchen and no dishwasher but I will gladly clean a pot if it means perfectly al dente noodles in my soup. Just cook the noodles separately, drain them, rinse them a little, toss with a dash of olive oil,and save them in their own tidy snap-ware container to have along with your leftover soup (which will now save very well and not morph into the aforementioned soggy pasta).
You know that Rotisserie chicken broth I made earlier this week? It’s
I really really love orzo. It’s like rice and pasta had a baby and it came out being orzo. You already heard about my love of rice but I must admit I love orzo so much. I really feel that orzo is just perfect for soups and pasta salads. It goes really well in this soup with the lemon and dill flavors. I love soup but if it’s really brothy I just feel like I drank my dinner. The orzo makes it feel like a meal.
Can we talk about the combo of lemon and dill? It’s like they were made for each other. They really are the cutest little couple. Add as much lemon and dill as you can handle to this soup, it really makes it shine. It’s been noted (by my
I made this soup and had tons of it. I brought some had Nathan bring some to a friend that was having her kitchen remodeled and my neighbor friend that had a cold. I’ve made variations of it for sick people before too. Everyone has said they liked it and they all seem to feel better soon afterward… I’m not saying its a miracle soup but it is pretty special! Try it out and tell me what you think! I hope you like it, it won’t be soup weather for much longer so get to it!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Dill
Ingredients
- 8 ounces orzo $0.50
- splash olive oil
- 1 tsp olive oil $0.15
- 1 tbsp salted butter $0.10
- 1/2 cup diced onion $0.30
- 3 celery stalks chopped $0.20
- 3 carrots chopped $0.20
- 1 tsp salt $0.02
- 1 tsp herbs de Provence $0.03
- 4 cups chicken broth $1.99
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken $1.50
- 1/3 cup lemon juice $0.50
- 1-2 tbsp fresh dill chopped $0.10
- dash salt
- dash pepper
Instructions
- Cook orzo in a small pot, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with a little bit of water. Set aside and add a splash of olive oil to the orzo so as to help them not clump together.
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, saute onion, celery, and carrots with butter, olive oil, salt, and herbs de Provence for about 10 minutes or until veggies are soft but not mushy.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken, 1 tbsp of chopped dill, and half of the lemon juice and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Taste and see if it needs more salt, add some if needed. If you are using homemade broth it will need more salt but if you are using store-bought broth you might not need more salt. Add pepper as desired.
- Serve soup in a soup bowl. Add cooked orzo to the bowl. Top with more dill and more lemon juice as desired. Enjoy!
