Fall Recipe #16- Lemon Orzo and Meatball Soup

Lemon, Orzo, and Meatball Soup is our hearty twist on chicken noodle soup, featuring small grains of orzo pasta and savory chicken meatballs.

Ingredients

• 1pound ground chicken
• 1large egg, lightly beaten
• ¼cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1teaspoon kosher salt
• 4teaspoons loosely packed lemon zest, divided
• 1teaspoon dried crushed rosemary, divided
• 3tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1medium-size sweet onion, chopped
• 3carrots, thinly sliced
• 2garlic cloves, minced
• 2(32-oz.) containers chicken broth
• 5-6Tbsp. lemon juice
• ¾cup orzo pasta
• ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ½cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, 2 tsp. lemon zest, and ½ tsp. rosemary in a medium bowl. Shape into 30 (1-inch) meatballs (about 1 level tablespoonful each).
2. Sauté meatballs, in 2 batches, in 1 Tbsp. hot oil per batch in a Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Remove using a slotted spoon.
3. Sauté onion and next 2 ingredients in remaining 1 Tbsp. hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tsp. zest and ½ tsp. rosemary. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add orzo. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes or until pasta is almost tender.
4. Stir in meatballs; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and parsley.