Zesty Chicken Broth (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
01 -
Juice from 1 average-sized lemon (roughly 1/4 cup)
02 -
1 tablespoon regular flour
03 -
8 cups (or fewer) reduced-salt chicken stock
04 -
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
05 -
1.5 pounds chicken breasts, no skin or bones
06 -
3 chopped celery ribs (about a cup)
07 -
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
08 -
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
09 -
3 minced garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon)
10 -
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
11 -
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
12 -
4 average carrots, peeled and diced small (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
13 -
1 average yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
14 -
1 cup raw whole wheat orzo
15 -
3 cups roughly torn spinach, loosely packed (around 3 oz)
# How to Make It:
01 -
Heat oil in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the carrots, onion, celery, basil, pepper, and salt. Cook until soft and slightly brown, stirring now and then for about 8 minutes.
02 -
Throw in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until you can smell it.
03 -
Dust the flour over everything and stir until it disappears. Pour in 6 cups of broth and stir well so the flour blends completely.
04 -
Put the chicken breasts into the soup gently. Turn heat up until it boils, then lower to a simmer and partly cover the pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F on your thermometer.
05 -
Remove chicken from the soup and put it on a cutting board with cover. Let it sit at least 5 minutes.
06 -
Shred or cut the chicken after resting, then put it back in the pot.
07 -
Get the soup simmering again and add the orzo. Let it cook gently for about 7 minutes, stirring often so it won't stick. The orzo should still be quite firm.
08 -
Stir in the spinach, dill, and lemon juice. If the soup's too thick, add more broth. Simmer another 3-5 minutes until spinach wilts and orzo softens. Try it and add more salt or pepper if you want before serving hot.
# Additional Tips:
01 -
You can swap orzo for other tiny pasta shapes like ditalini or small shells. Just follow the cooking time on the package.
02 -
Store any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container up to 4 days.
03 -
This soup freezes great in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in your fridge before warming up.
04 -
Warm up leftover soup in a Dutch oven on low heat or just pop it in the microwave.