Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup

A twist on this sick day essential. Dress up chicken soup with fresh lemon and Parmesan. Perfect for when you are feeling under the weather or if you are looking for a something new and delicious.

Bone Broth

Making bone broth is so simple! When I know I want to make soup, I will roast a whole chicken and either eat it for a meal or just pick the bones and save the meat. In the Instant Pot, I put the whole chicken carcass, bones, skin and any organs then fill with water to cover the bones. I’ll add in about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a couple of teaspoons of salt. Set the Instant Pot to custom, high pressure for 4 hours. Often, I will start the broth before bed, and the Instant Pot will keep it warm until I am ready to deal with it in the morning. Fresh bone broth is so essential in the winter, not only because it is delicious. The broth is SO good for you! It is such a simple and easy way to add protein and essential vitamins and minerals that we all need during cold and flu season.

Parmesan and Orzo

Why Orzo? Orzo is what I would call a fun pasta. I don’t use it everyday and I like the texture when warm or cold. I used it in this soup because my family was battling a cold, and I wanted everything to be in little bite-sized pieces. We all love Parmesan. It’s just a fact about humans. I buy the Parmesan wedge from Costco. Is it an extra step to get out the cheese grater when I could simply buy the pre-shredded stuff? Yes, it is. But frugality will be the death of me, and at this point in 2024, the price per ounce of cheese matters. The wedge of cheese shakes out to be a few dollars less than the pre-shredded parm. I digress. If you need any reason to switch from shredded to wedge parmesan cheese, it has to be that the wedge has the ✨rind✨. Oh, and it is a game changer. The rind holds so much flavor; it will soon become a staple in so much of your cooking. When I get to the end of the wedge of cheese, I throw the remaining rind in the freezer and pull it out for soups, bolognese, mac and cheese, sauces—heck, throw that sucker into a beef stew. Alright, there you have it. Buy the parm with the rind, keep it, use it, don’t waste it. Tell me how it goes.

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken bone broth
Salt to taste
1 cup orzo
2 Tbs fresh parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp turmeric
Parmesan rind (I keep parm rind in the freezer to use it in soups)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan
Juice of half of a lemon

Method

In a pot, 2 Tbs olive oil. Let it heat up and saute onion, celery, carrots. Finally garlic, cook until fragrant, don’t let it burn.
Add in 6 cups bone broth. Once simmering pour in orzo, herbs and spices, and parmesan rind.
Continue to simmer until the orzo is cooked through. 10-12 minutes, check doneness along the way.
Once orzo is cooked through, add in the cooked chicken, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice.