Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Chicken Soup with Orzo, Lemon and Dill


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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a great pantry soup for spring and summer meals. It is light and easy to prepare, though I did come across a problem the first time I made it. When raw chicken is poached or boiled it creates an unpleasant scum that rises to the surface of the liquid in which it cooks. The problem can be avoided by blanching or pre-cooking the chicken until it loses its pink color. I did not do that and as a result my first effort had more than a bit of scum in it. Second time around, I cooked the chicken along with the vegetables before the stock was added and had a relatively clear soup to show for my efforts. Third time through, I used a rotisserie chicken and had a lovely, scum free soup in no time at all. I've obviously become a proponent of rotisserie chicken for use in this soup. The combination of flavors made experimenting with this recipe worthwhile and I know you will enjoy the final results. There is nothing here not to like and the soup is truly easy to make. The recipe, which I'm featuring as it was originally written, comes from Bon Appetit magazine. My riff, substitutes 12 ounces of rotisserie chicken for the thigh meat, so I also do away with the 15 minutes required to cook the raw chicken and simply warm it through. The finished soup tastes a bit like avgolemono, but it is easier to prepare. Here is how it is made.

Chicken Soup with Orzo, Lemon and Dill...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Lemon halves (for serving)

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
2) Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve each bowl with a lemon half to provide additional flavor.








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14 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

Just printed it, and can't wait to try it, maybe today! I have all the ingredients except the fresh dill, I will have to add the dried and cut it way back. I always thought recipes from Bon Apetit were too fancy or involved for me to make.

Lynn said...

Sounds like a great soup Mary, I love dill:@)

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

A perfect, light soup that would taste great at anytime. Nice way to use up the dill in our garden.

Nilu A said...

This looks and sounds delicious.. I'm trying this soon.. I'm a new blogger... Do visit my blog.. http://kitchenserenity.blogspot.in/

Unknown said...

This sounds wonderful! I love rotisserie chicken, it does make life a bit less complicated. I'm all for that and it's very tasty too. I love the roasted chickens at Costco, so yummy!

Alicia Foodycat said...

This sounds so lovely and bright! Just what you want in spring.

Big Dude said...

I love that you work the kinks out of these recipes for us. When I BBQ, I always cook several chicken breasts and thighs for us to use like this and to snack on.

A Sunflower Life said...

I often use leftover roasted chicken in soups, and this recipe would be perfect. I like the idea of lemon and dill in the dish. Perfect warm-weather flavors.

Mr. & Mrs. P said...

Perfect and light soup!! Thanks for sharing!

Arthur in the Garden! said...

Wonderful!

A Paixão da Isa said...

uma sopinha sabe mt bem e com o frio que faz de novo humm super bjs

Kim said...

I would have love to trade a bowl of my chicken and noodles soup for one of yours in last 3 days. This looks really good Mary!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am loving the flavour profile in this soup Mary.

Unknown said...

Vim fazer-lhe uma visita e já fiquei sua seguidora.
Aguardo uma visita sua no meu recanto de Receitas de Sedução.

Beijinhos;

Aurea Sá

P.s: desafio a decorrer no blogue. Participe!
Deixo o link: http://receitasseducao.blogspot.pt/2013/05/arroz-de-acafrao-e-ervilhas-com-peixe.html

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