Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon And Orzo (Gluten-Free)
A flavorful Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon and Orzo, featuring tender chicken, silky gluten-free orzo, and a bright citrusy finish. Perfect for dinner or a light lunch, this easy-to-make soup is satisfying.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 249kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 whole carrots cut into rounds
- 2 whole celery stalks chopped
- ½ whole onion chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 12 4" strips lemon zest from one lemon
- 2 whole whole cloves
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 cup orzo
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 egg yolks additional to the other eggs
- spinach a handful
- 1 whole scallion sliced thin
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Add a pinch of salt. Saute until just tender.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, lemon zest strips, cloves, and the bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil and then turn the burner down so the stock simmers. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and place it on a plate and reserve. Remove the lemon zest strips and the cloves.
- Add the orzo and turn up the heat to bring the stock to a boil.
- While the orzo is cooking, shred the chicken breasts and add them back to the pot. Continue cooking until the orzo is al dente, about 8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.
- Whisk the eggs together with the lemon juice.
- Temper the eggs by slowly adding some of the hot stock to the eggs while whisking constantly. See my notes below on tempering.
- Add the eggs back to the stock and combine by whisking constantly until the soup has thickened.
- Stir in the spinach, parsley, and scallion. Taste the broth and add salt to taste.
- Serve.
Notes
Tempering eggs - You cannot add eggs into a hot broth without tempering. If you do not temper the eggs, your eggs will scramble and cook in the broth. To temper eggs, slowly whisk in some hot broth to gently warm them. Once the eggs have been warmed, slowly whisk them into the pot and continue to cook gently until the soup has thickened.
You can make this soup ahead but the soup will thicken as it sits. If the soup becomes too thick, whisk in some more broth and check the seasonings.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 1831mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4029IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
