Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Sauté the vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and smell fragrant.
Simmer the broth with chicken
- Stir in the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and chicken breast, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Shred chicken and cook the orzo
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, then add the orzo and simmer for 8-9 minutes until tender.
Choose avgolemono or regular lemon finish
- For avgolemono style, whisk the eggs with the lemon juice until smooth. Slowly ladle hot broth into the eggs while whisking, then stir the mixture back into the pot.
- For regular style, stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest directly into the soup. Keep the soup at a gentle heat so the flavors stay bright.
Finish with spinach and herbs
- Stir in the baby spinach and cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with fresh dill before serving.
Notes
For best texture, keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding eggs for avgolemono to prevent curdling—whisk steadily while tempering with hot broth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze yes for the base without spinach and dill, then reheat and add greens after thawing. For a dairy-free option, use the regular style (skip eggs) for a lighter lemon broth; for gluten-free, swap orzo with a gluten-free pasta shape and cook according to package directions.