It's a rainy April day today (shocker, right!?), a little spring nip is in the air, the sky is grey. It's a good day for hunkering down in the kitchen, getting the babe down for a nap, and busying the toddler with an activity. The sounds and aromas of sizzling carrots, celery, onion, and garlic begin to fill my kitchen; yes, I am in my happy place.
The ingredients for this soup are ones that I always keep on hand... broth, soup veggies, chicken, orzo, and the hidden ingredient... freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
I make this soup in my Instant Pot. If you don't have one, I would strongly recommend one (I don't get any kickbacks for recommending the product; it's just my honest opinion.). I just sautéed the veggies, added one cup of broth and added the chicken, thyme, and bay leaf; cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and do natural pressure release for another 10. Then, remove the chicken, thyme, and bay leaf, and add the rest of the broth to the Instant Pot. Bring to a boil (shred the chicken while you wait) on the sauté function. Once it's boiling, add the orzo and cook until al dente. Add the chicken back in and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you could TOTALLY make this on the stove top instead!
Serve with fresh crusty bread or crackers. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
¾ cup orzo, uncooked
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Press the brown/sauté button, set temperature to high, and then press start. Allow preheating. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, and the celery. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the thyme and the bay leaf. Place the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables, then pour in one cup of the chicken broth. Place the lid on the pot and lock. Press the soup function(or manually set to pressure cook on high) and adjust the cooking time to 10 minutes. At the end of cooking use the natural pressure release method and allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken, thyme and the bay leaf. Add the remaining broth to the pot, select the brown/sauté function to high temperature and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook to al dente according to the directions on the box. While the orzo is cooking, shred the chicken. When the desired doneness of the orzo is reached stir in the shredded chicken. Squeeze in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with crackers or bread and enjoy!
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