Chicken Orzo Soup

 This chicken orzo soup recipe is light, healthy and cozy. It uses wholesome everyday ingredients and is sure to become a family favourite!. It's just so comforting without being heavy, and people adore this bright lemony broth. This orzo soup is simple to make.

If you are not familiar with it, orzo is that tiny rice-shaped pasta. It looks like rice but cooks really fast, so you get the rice effect in less time. This chicken orzo soup recipe is like chicken noodle soup but elevated!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g  butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 kg chicken breast
• 250g orzo
• ½ bunch dill, chopped plus extra to garnish
• 250g frozen peas
• 2 lemons, 1½ zested and juiced, ½ sliced for serving

Method:

Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole dish then add in the onion, leek and carrots along with a pinch of salt. Stir, then cook with a lid on for 10 minutes over a low heat until soft.

Add the garlic and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock and the chicken breast. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a low gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate. Add the orzo and chopped dill to the pan, stir and cook for 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through. 

Add the peas to the pan, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Meanwhile use two forks to shred the chicken.

Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices. Stir through the lemon zest and juice and taste for seasoning-add a little more lemon juice if you prefer. Serve with extra dill, black pepper and slice of lemon.