Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Chicken noodle soup is probably the top comfort food of all time. You'll need to start a day ahead to prepare the tasty homemade broth. A serving of this soup provides about 200 micrograms of vitamin A, just shy of one-third of the RDA.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups soup)

Ingredients

• 1  (4-pound) whole chicken
• 2  carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2  celery stalks, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1  medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 6  garlic cloves, crushed
• 4  sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2  teaspoons  whole black peppercorns
• 2  bay leaves
• 6  cups  water
• 1 1/3  cups  chopped carrot
• 1 1/4  cups  chopped onion
• 1  cup  chopped celery
• 2  teaspoons  salt
• 8  ounces  uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 1/2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• Lemon wedges (optional)
• Coarsely cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Place chicken in a large Dutch oven. Add 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaves) to pan. Add 6 cups water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

2. Remove chicken from pan; place chicken in a bowl. Chill 15 minutes. Discard skin; remove chicken from bones, discarding bones. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces; cover and chill. Strain broth mixture through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool broth mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours. Skim fat from surface; discard.

3. Add enough water to broth to equal 9 cups; place broth mixture in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 1/3 cups carrot, 1 1/4 cups onion, 1 cup celery, and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add reserved chicken, and simmer 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add pasta to pan with chicken and broth mixture; stir in parsley, rind, and juice. Garnish each serving with lemon wedges and cracked black pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

235 (20% from fat)

Fat:

5.2g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

21.3g

Carbohydrate:

24.6g

Fiber:

2.3g

Cholesterol:

53mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

679mg

Calcium:

39mg