Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

There are just some recipes that you make again and again.  Maybe it's ease of making them, maybe it's the memory attached to them or maybe it's just that they are absolutely delicious, but we all have those recipes that constantly make it into our weekly menu.  This is one of mine.  Ever since I found it I've made it over and over, at least during the winter months.  Of course I should tell you that I can get a bit obsessive.  Like last summer when I seriously would make my hummus recipe at least once a week and sometimes twice a week.  When invited as a guest to dinner, I think people stopped asked me to bring an appetizer for fear that I would bring it... again.  Although it is still one of my favorites and very delicious, I did get a bit sick of it.  Not sick of it like I'm not going to make it again, but just down to the hummus-eating pattern of a normal person.  This recipe I'm not sick of yet and I'm on year two of making it.  Although I guess I only make it during the fall and winter so maybe that's why. But it's not just me.  My friend Steph makes it basically weekly now after getting the cookbook it is written in as a Christmas gift.  That's the sign of a great recipe.

Everyone I know that has tried this soup loves it, which is funny because it is pretty simple.  It has a relatively straightforward ingredient list and doesn't take long to make at all, but I think maybe it just reminds everyone of home.  I made this at my parents once last year and my uncle came over for lunch and said, "What is it about the Pond women, they all know how to make soup so well?" Of course this was in comparison to my mom's soup skills.  Quite the high compliment in my book.

Everyone craves chicken soup when they are sick.  My mom would always make us soup when we were sick.  And not the kind from the can, but the homemade kind.  With real chicken and real homemade noodles.  (Mental note, another recipe I need to figure out of hers.)  And although I love that one, this one is a bit different.  When I am sick I don't want any of the other ones, just the simple straightforward one, but when I'm not sick I tend to crave a bit bolder flavors so will be more apt to make chicken soup with a twist.  Like a Thai version with coconut milk, a Mexican chicken tortilla soup or recently I tried a Polish pickle soup that my friend Kasia made for me.  (Very good, give it a try.)

Or, more than likely, I will make this one and of course it has a twist as well.  It's actually very similar to a Greek Soup called Chicken Avgolemono or Chicken Lemon Rice Soup.  You've probably had some version of it at some point.  I like it because it's just a bit turned up from your regular soup.  There's some lemon in it and the teeny tiny orzo noodles instead of the long egg noodles.  Which I love because I never did like eating chicken noodle soup when the noodles slop all over and won't stay on your spoon.  And the process of adding the egg threw me off too; it thickens it a bit so it's not as thin as regular chicken noodle soup so I think it makes it a bit more hearty.  It's different, but yet familiar.

Of course there's still a place for both.  I still need to figure out my mom's chicken noodle, but for now this will probably remain on my menu.  For the next few months at least.

Trish's Tips:  This, like most soups, keeps well.  It does however thicken quite a bit in the fridge.  I like to keep extra chicken stock on hand to thin out the next day, mainly because I'm a broth-loving girl.  I tried whole-wheat orzo for the first time.  And... not a fan.  I do love whole wheat and try to use it in almost everything but just didn't feel like it went here.  It turned out a bit gummier than the regular white pasta.  Make sure the vegetables are cooked before you add the orzo because once you add that your time is limited and you will then either have underdone veggies or overcooked noodles.  I like to cut up a lemon and serve it with the soup for those that like it with a bit more zest.  (Like me!)

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 tsp chopped fresh thme
6-8 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta
2 large eggs
3 TBL fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Put chicken in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil.  Rub with your hands over the chicken to coat all sides of the chicken.  Put in oven and roast for 35-40 minutes or until done.  Let cool until cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and shred or cube chicken.    Set aside.

Heat soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add 1 TBL olive oil.  When oil is heated add the onion, celery, carrot and thyme and cook, stirring over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil.  Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes.  Turn the heat down to low to keep soup hot but not boiling.

Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling.  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.  Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs.  Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while.  Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened.  Do NOT let the soup come to a boil.  Add the cooked chicken to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add remaining broth if desired depending on the level of thickness that you like or save the extra for when reheating to thin out.