Lemon chicken orzo soup with kale

Prep Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Servings:

6

Yield:

9 cups

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano and/or thyme, divided

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided

  • ¾ teaspoon ground pepper, divided

  • 2 cups chopped onions

  • 1 cup chopped carrots

  • 1 cup chopped celery

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 4 cups unsalted chicken broth

  • ⅔ cup orzo pasta, preferably whole-wheat

  • 4 cups chopped kale

  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each oregano (and/or thyme), salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

  2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onions, carrots and celery to the pan. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano (and/or thyme). Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.

  3. Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add orzo. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add kale and the chicken, along with any accumulated juices. Continue cooking until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes more.

  4. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

245Calories

7gFat

24gCarbs

21gProtein

Reviews

ProudSalt3395

A keeper!Great flavorsWorth the effortCrowd-pleaserFamily favorite

The celery was still a bit crunchy following the times listed soI would just adjust to have them in the heat longer other than that we LOVED this one and I swapped the orzo for homemade potato gnocchi noodles (gf) and wow. 10/10

LivelyMelt4745

Loved this soup. I switched out the kale and used spinach instead because I don’t like the texture of kale. It was perfect.

VioletTart2637

Great recipe! First time I made this was a few years ago, I was 14 and both my parents had Covid so it was up to me to make dinner, super easy and simple recipe even for a kid having to cook for a family of 4 on their own. You can also use a lot of different types of pasta if you don't have orzo, I used penne that first time since it was all we had and it turned out great. Really hearty with a both warm and refreshing flavor, and while I usually don't like kale it goes great in this recipe. I know many say you need double the broth but in my opinion that's really up to personal preference, I think it's fine with the amount in the recipe.Currently off to cook this at the family reunion, and I'm sure my relatives will love it as much as we do!

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By Breana Lai Killeen, MPH, RD / Contributing Writer and Recipe Developer

Location: Shelburne, Vermont

Education: M.P.H. in Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Le Cordon Bleu London Culinary School, Wine & Management

Expertise: Recipe development, culinary nutrition, marketing, farming

Experience
Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H, RD, is a Chinese and Jewish chef and dietitian who has worked in all facets of the food world. She is a recipe developer, culinary nutritionist and marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience creating editorial and digital content for top food and kitchen brands. For 10 years, Breana was a food editor turned test kitchen and editorial operations manager for EatingWell magazine, where she oversaw the development, production and nutrition analysis of more than 500 recipes per year and helped manage day-to-day operations to keep everything running smoothly.

Breana trained at top universities and institutions in the U.S. and abroad. While obtaining her degree in nutrition from Gillings School of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill, she cooked in restaurant kitchens, served wine at a Relais & Châteaux restaurant as a sommelier, taught healthy cooking classes at a local cooking school and volunteered as a Cooking Matters chef. Immediately after obtaining her graduate degree, she ran a diabetes program at the local health department and started writing a column for Chapel Hill magazine. This led to her life-changing move to Vermont to work at EatingWell magazine.

In addition to being an expert in writing, developing and editing recipes, Breana is also an expert in culturally appropriate food media.

Her newest venture includes sustainably farming 20 acres with her husband, where they grow Asian vegetables and raise chickens for poultry and eggs at Killeen Crossroads Farm.

(Source: eatingwell.com; November 1, 2019; https://tinyurl.com/5ed5z7vk)
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