Greek Lemon Chicken Soup #Recipe

On Monday I posted the recipe for Parmesan Biscotti and mentioned that I served them with a delicious Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. Today I wanted to share that easy recipe with you. It might be simple, but it is packed with big bold flavor from the lemon and dill.

My Mom found this recipe years ago and I fell in love with it. What can I say? I adore lemon whether roasted, sweetened or zested. It adds a brightness to several of my favorite desserts and dinners. Unfortunately I don't remember my Mom every making this recipe again. I suspect it didn't make the cut for them. I have made it several times though with my family and keep it with my favorite, trusted recipes.

This might not be your typical bowl of 'chicken noodle soup', but it warms my soul just the same. It uses orzo noodles, which might look like little grains of rice, but are just pasta. On my husband's request I added more orzo to this soup since he felt it didn't have enough.

You could add in more vegetables, but I like to keep it really simple. I just serve it with a salad or vegetable side.

So, shall we get started? Grab those lemons, thaw that chicken and get set for dinner.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

You Will Need:

• 4 c. chicken stock
• 4 boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• 2/3 c. orzo
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp dill, fresh if possible
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

In a 2 quart saucepan, bring the stock up to a boil. Add the chicken and orzo and simmer for 8 minutes until tender.

At this point I like to use a ladle or spoon to skim off the extra bubbles. When I lived in Japan it was a requirement of most meat recipes. They said the bubbles would add a bitterness to the dish. I still do it with soups and curries.

Whisk your eggs and lemon juice together well. Then add a ladle or so of hot soup broth to temper the eggs. I add the broth with one hand and whisk with the other so the eggs don't just scramble. After adding a cup or so of broth to the eggs you can add the egg mixture to the pan and whisk into the soup.

Add in the dill and parsley and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. The flavors will all come together and the soup will be ready to serve.

The eggs make this soup silky smooth and the lemon is not overpowering. This is one of my favorite soups to enjoy on a cold Oregon evening.

Enjoy!