Lemon, Chicken and Orzo Soup

Ok, for all of you Paradise Bakery lovers out there, this may seem familiar to you. I first had this soup several weeks ago and immediately fell in love with it. It was so fragrant and delicious. I absolutely had to recreate it, but with my own spin on it. Here's what I did...

-1 large chicken breast, trimmed of fat and cubed
-1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of orzo (Orzo is rice-shaped pasta. If you like more pasta add more, if you like less, add less.)
-1 large carrot, chopped
-1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
-2 medium celery stalks with leaves, chopped (celery leaves are really flavorful, don't throw them out!)
-about 1 cup of frozen spinach
-1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed (cannellini or Great Northern beans)
-a small handful of flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped (for garnish)
-the zest of 1 large lemon (reserve the rest of the lemon for garnishing)
-2 bay leaves
-1 heaping TBS of parisien bonnes herbes (get it here: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysparisienherb.html)
-about 1/2 cup of white wine
-48 oz of chicken stock
-shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
-Salt and pepper
-Extra virgin olive oil

In a large stock pot or enamel dutch oven, heat a couple of TBS of olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and celery, saute for about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, parisien bonnes herbes, and bay leaves and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it cook out for 2-3 minutes. Leaving the heat on medium, add the stock and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the cubed chicken and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. (Add the orzo at this point if you're cooking it in the soup, otherwise see Cook's Note below.) Reduce heat to low, add white beans and frozen spinach and warm through, about 8-9 minutes or until pasta is tender. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and a thinly sliced lemon wheel. If desired, squeeze some extra lemon juice into soup before serving. A hunk of crusty bread is a great accompaniment to this soup.

This soup is perfect for any time, but great if you're under the weather. It's quick and easy and just the smell of the lemon zest hitting the warm chicken stock is enough to start making you feel better whether you're sick or not! It's packed full of veggies and protein without skimping on flavor. This recipe will definitely be one of my go-to soups this winter season. Hope you give it a try!

***Cook's Note: If you plan on having this soup over several days or if your family happens to all eat at different times, then make the orzo in a separate pot and just add some to each bowl before serving. If you put the orzo into the soup and eat it over several days, you'll begin to notice that the orzo absorbs more and more of the liquid. It will bloat up and become mushy. You can make a large portion of orzo and once it's cooked stir in a small amount of olive oil to keep it from sticking together, cover it and put it in the fridge with the soup.