Lemon Orzo and Chicken Meatball Soup

This time of year it starts to get chilly out and well, you can't avoid the headcolds. Tonight, I'm curling up with this delicious bowl of soup and watching some football. I hope you cook the same for your family and enjoy it together. It's simple, fresh and incredibly quick to make (oh and did I mention low fat??). 

Lemon Orzo and Chicken Meatball Soup

(serves 4 people)

recipe from Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

1 tsp. kosher salt

4 tsp. loosely packed lemon zest, divided

1 tsp rosemary, divided

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (32 oz) containers of chicken broth

6 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup orzo pasta

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, 2 tsp lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp rosemary in a medium bowl. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. 

2. Saute the meatballs, in 2 batches, in 1 tbsp hot oil per batch in a dutch oven over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until browned. 

3. Saute onion and next 2 ingredients in 1 tbsp hot oil in dutch oven over medium high heat 3-5 minutes or until tender. 

Stir in broth, lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest with 1/2 tsp rosemary. 

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add orzo. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, 7-9 minutes. 

4. Stir in meatballs, simmer, 5-7 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese.

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

perfect for a snowy day!

make 22 cups of soup (I like to freeze it to eat in single servings)

Homemade Chicken Stock

(the base for this soup)

makes 22 cups of stock

Ingredients You Will Need:

1 whole roasting chicken (about 6 lbs)

17 cups cold water

1 tbsp sea salt

1 package carrots, peeled, cut into chunks

1 small bunch of celery, 1/2 inch trimmed off of end, cut into chunks, include leaves

1 package fresh thyme

3 medium cooking onions, halved, skins left on

2  12 oz. packages of mirepoix

4 bay leaves

1 tbsp black peppercorns

3 cups chicken stock

large stockpot or dutch oven

Place chicken in large pot (I prefer to take out the giblets and bag inside of the cavity, you may leave in there for more flavor if you prefer), breast side down; add 17 cups cold water and 3 cups chicken stock; season with sea salt.

Simmer 60 minutes, skim top every 15 minutes and baste chicken with cooking liquids. Be careful not to boil!

*Rachael Ray makes an all-natural chicken stock that has a TON of flavor, the reason I use 3 cups of this stock to make my own chicken stock is to infuse the juices from the chicken and give it more flavor*

Add carrots, celery (include celery leaves), thyme, onions (leave the peels on the onions), mirepoix, bay leaves and peppercorns to stockpot.

Return to a simmer on MEDIUM heat. Simmer 2 hours, reduce heat to medium-low if stock starts to boil.

*What is mirepoix? It is chopped up, portioned celery, carrots and onions that is used as a starter for any soup or stew. Most stores will sell this either fresh or frozen, I prefer fresh if I am making my soup the same day I am buying it. Otherwise, buy a few bags and freeze them for when you need it. They are inexpensive and save you a TON of time! Again, I buy organic so I know my veggies weren't sprayed with any harmful chemicals*

Transfer chicken to a cutting board; let it cool. Remove the meat from the bones. The meat should be very tender and fall right off of the bones. Remove skin from the meat, discard. If you are not using right away for a soup, store the chicken in your freezer to use for another day.

Discard bay leaves and stems of thyme. Refridgerate stock until ready to use or continue to next step to continue making your chicken noodle soup!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

makes 22 cups of soup

Ingredients You Will Need:

22 cups of homemade chicken stock (recipe is shown above)

3 cups cooked chicken (used to make chicken stock), shredded-I like to add the whole chicken

1/2 cup chopped italian flat leaf parsley

1 cup soup pasta such as ditalini, stellini or pastine (teeny tiny star shaped pasta), or elbow macaroni-you could also use rice

salt and pepper to taste

large stockpot or dutch oven

Add chicken stock to large stockpot on MEDIUM heat; heat for 10 minutes. Your veggies will be very tender and will hold all the flavor of the stock. Add chicken and parsley, cook through a simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Want to really "kick it up a notch"? (as Emeril always says!) Sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top! Yummm!