Lemon Vegetable Orzo Soup

Lemon Chicken & Vegetable Orzo Soup
1 Small Shallot - Minced
Makes: about 6–8 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35–45 minutes

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Boxes of Fat Free Chicken Broth

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes

2 Carrots - Diced

1 Zucchini - Diced

1 Crown of Broccoli - Cut into spoon size pieces

1 Lemon - Juiced

1 Cube of Chicken Bouillon

1 Teaspoon of Goya Seasoning

Salt / Pepper to taste

2 Large Chicken Breasts

3/4 Cup of Orzo

Prep everything before you start
Mince the shallot
Dice the carrots
Dice the zucchini
Cut the broccoli into small, spoon-size florets
Juice the lemon
Cut the chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces

I recommend cutting the chicken before cooking rather than boiling the breasts whole—it'll cook quickly and distribute throughout the soup.

Sauté the chicken
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It doesn't need to be completely cooked through yet.
Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Build the soup base
Turn the heat down to medium.
Add the minced shallot and diced carrots to the same pot.
Cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallot softens and the carrots begin to soften.
4. Add the broth & seasonings

Pour in:
2 boxes fat-free chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, including the juice
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon Goya seasoning

Return the chicken to the pot.
Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for about 10 minutes.
Hold off on additional salt for now. The broth, bouillon and Goya can all contain quite a bit of sodium. Taste it toward the end first.

Add the orzo
Stir in:
¾ cup dry orzo
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom.

Add the vegetables
Add the:
Broccoli
Zucchini
Continue simmering for another 4–6 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the vegetables are cooked but still have some texture.

Add the lemon
Turn off the heat first, then stir in the juice of 1 lemon.

Taste
Add black pepper and salt only if it needs it.
If you want it even brighter, you can also grate a little of the lemon zest into the soup.
One important orzo tip
Orzo is a little sponge. As the soup sits in the refrigerator, it will continue absorbing broth and can turn your beautiful soup into something closer to an orzo stew.
If you're meal-prepping this for several days, an even better method is to cook the orzo separately, refrigerate it separately, and spoon some into each bowl before adding the hot soup.
And with two whole boxes of broth, you should end up with the kind of lighter, vegetable-packed soup that is really good for leftovers.