WW Chicken Orzo Soup with Lemon
Orzo, the rice shaped pasta, replaces traditional noodles in this light and luscious version of chicken noodle soup, brightened by the addition of fresh lemon juice and dill.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 201
Ingredients
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
- 2 medium uncooked carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced and then chopped
- 1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 cup chopped cooked skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (or more to taste)
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, combine broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add carrots, fennel and orzo; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, with a lid partially covering the pot, until orzo and vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in chicken; cook until heated through.
- Remove pot from heat; stir in lemon juice and dill. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, dill, and/or lemon juice as necessary to suit your tastes.
Recipe Notes
- I added 1/2 cup of frozen peas for more color and bulk.
- Orzo, the rice shaped pasta, replaces traditional noodles in this light and luscious version of chicken noodle soup, brightened by the addition of fresh lemon juice and dill. If you don't have orzo, any small cut of pasta would work.
- Fresh dill and lemon juice add delightful brightness. But any fresh herb such as parsley, basil or cilantro would work well.
- I had leftover cooked chicken breast tenderloins in the fridge. Any cooked chicken breast, including rotisserie chicken, would work.
- The recipe calls for fennel. If you are not familiar with it, fennel is a bulbous vegetable with a stalks that look like celery and a wispy, fronded top that looks like dill. The fronds can be used in salads, but the main part of fennel is the bulb itself. It's very firm and crunchy, and it tastes a little bit like licorice or anise. It has a fresh, bright taste and is used a lot in Italian and Mediterranean cooking.
- If you don't have fennel, substitute 2 stalks of thinly sliced celery instead.
Nutrition Facts
WW Chicken Orzo Soup with Lemon
Amount Per Serving (1 -1/4 cups)
Calories 201
Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 18g36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.