Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Christina P.'s Note:

There are a million versions of this recipe on Food.com, but this is my own personal adaptation. Plenty of veggies, and just the right amount of lemon, imho. Don't boil the pasta longer than 4 minutes or it will be overcooked by the time the soup is done. Let me know what you think!

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 stalks celery, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups cooked chicken
• 1 cup orzo pasta or 1 cup rosamarina pasta
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions:

1. Chop veggies. Heat olive oil in heavy stock pot.
2. Saute onions, celery, and carrots on medium-high heat for 8 minutes or until tender. Juice and zest lemon while veggies are cooking.
3. Add chicken stock and lemon zest, bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes.
4. Add orzo or rozamarina, return to a boil, and cook 4 minutes.
5. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice, cooked chicken, and cream of chicken soup until well mixed.