Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup (Colbert) by Barbara

Nothing like a good homemade chicken soup after traveling for almost a month and eating out everyday.  

This one is very lemony and uses chicken breasts, which makes it lighter.  And orzo, a pea-sized Italian pasta, which is excellent in soups.  

It's a Stephen and Evie Colbert recipe. Colberts are now two for two in the soup category.  I am pleasantly surprised.  Often celebrity cookbooks are not really all that great.   

As usual, I adapted it to my taste and style of cooking, e.g., elminated the celery and streamlined it.  

fyi - It makes a big batch.  Leftovers will need the addition of more chicken stock and lemon juice.  We had two dinners for two and one lunch with this recipe.

It's excellent and I will make it again!

--- Barbara

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

(adapted from "Does This Taste Funny?" cookbook by Stephen and Evie Colbert)

Makes 6 quarts

3 chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)

salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions chopped in crescents

4 medium carrots, diced (bitesize)

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of dried red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dried French thyme (or 1 T. fresh)

5 cups low sodium chicken broth (plus 3 cups extra for leftovers) (2 quarts in total)

1 T. chicken gelee (or Better than Bouillon)

1/2 cup orzo  (Italian pasta)

1 cup half'n'half

A big handful of fresh greens (spinach lettuce mix)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 2 lemons (save a third for leftovers)

serve with cornbread 

Ahead of time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the chicken breasts on a rack in a shallow roasting pan after salting them on both sides, oiling them, adding fresh pepper and rubbing the oil and seasoning into the meat.  Wash your hands well after doing this.  The breasts will take about 20-25 minutes, depending on their thickness.  Set aside and let them cool completely.   Turn off the oven or turn it down to 375 degrees if you are making cornbread.

Chop the onion, carrots and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron pot with lid.  Add the onions with a pinch of salt.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Then add the carrots and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about another 4-5 minutes.  

Add the thyme and red pepper flakes.  And 5 cups of the chicken broth.  Add the chicken gelee (which is leftover drippings from chicken previously roasted or the Better than Bouillon.   One or the other, not both.  What you are trying to do here is augment the chicken flavor of the broth.) Bring to a boil.

Stir in the orzo, turn down the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.  

Shred the chicken with two forks, and tear into bite size pieces (not too small, but not too big) then add it to the pot.

If you want a soupier soup versus a stew, at this point you can add some more chicken stock.  

Stir in the half'n'half.

Stir in the fresh greens.  

Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Bring up to tempurature for eating but don't boil, i.e., simmer for about 5 minutes.  

Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving.

Ladle into soup bowls with a side of cornbread.

There will likely be leftovers.  Let cool completely.  Cover and refrigerate.  The orzo will soak up almost all of the liquid.  So, add the remaining 3 cups chicken stock to the pot, and bring to a very gently boil.  You don't want the orzo to get mushy.   Then add more lemon juice to taste.  Probably won't need any salt but taste and adjust if necessary.  The leftovers will be soupier than the first batch but taste equally as good.

B