Chicken Orzo Soup With Lemon And Herbs

Description

Source: TASTY PRIDE - TASTY

My wife is not a good sick person. She becomes sad and quiet, and starts to feel a little sorry for herself—but it’s a sweet type of pitiful and my heart always breaks for her. She once came down with a rather bad flu, so I gathered ingredients for chicken soup while she was sleeping. This was the second time I’d ever made chicken soup from scratch—the first was for a beloved colleague who’d had lung cancer; watching her devour my impromptu soup on a frigid night was my last memory of her before she died. As I made it for the second time, fond memories of my colleague’s friendship rushed into my kitchen as I reduced the broth to just the right viscosity, and I added the smallest amount of lemon juice and dill, coaxing intensity and brightness into the broth. I took even more time and care this time around, finishing the soup to nourish my wife. It was the first thing I cooked for my wife, and the last thing I cooked for a dear friend. - Tiffani Faison

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds chicken quarters, cut at the joints
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 medium yellow onions, quartered
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 8 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, torn
• 1 lemon, sliced into wheels
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cups diced yellow onions
• 2 cups uncooked orzo
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon juice

Directions

1. Make the broth: In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Season the chicken quarters with the salt.
3. Working in batches, sear the chicken until deep brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
5. Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme to the same pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.
6. Add the seared chicken and chicken stock and simmer for 2 hours, allowing the fat to emulsify back into the soup.
7. Remove the pot from the heat, add the parsley and lemon, and let sit for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the chicken quarters and set aside until cool enough to handle. Pick off the meat and set aside, discarding the skin and bones.
9. Make the soup: Strain the stock, discarding the remaining solids, then return to the pot over medium-high heat and cook until reduced in volume by one-fourth, about 10 minutes.
10. Add the diced carrots, celery, onions, and orzo.
11. Cook over medium heat until the orzo is cooked and the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
12. Add the peas, the chicken meat, and the dill, parsley, and chives.
13. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
14. Serve immediately.

YIELD: SERVES 6