Lemon Garlic Orzo Soup

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone is sick?  I don't know if it was the stress leading up the holidays, or ebola, or what, but there are a lot of sick people out there.  I've been coughing for nearly 2 weeks now.  Mark's mother is sick and missed the Christmas Eve party.  My friend Courtney's mom had a cold.  I have seen at least 4 Facebook statuses about people's bodies "needing a break."  So here's the break/ cure/ most delicious chicken-less version of chicken soup for sick people: lemon garlic orzo soup.

Mark got the stomach bug about a month or so back.  It wasn't pretty, and he missed his cousin's wedding over it.  Once he was ready to eat again, I wanted to make him some chicken noodle soup - obviously, sans chicken.  His dad always adds lemon to chicken soup - I think it's a middle eastern thing, and it's a great idea.  It brightens everything up and makes the broth really pop.  It promises to make the most flavorful chicken soup that you ever had.

So, you have this hot, bright, lemony broth full of both lemon juice and zest, and in it you also have onion, garlic, carrot, and orzo.  I used whole grain orzo since I had some left over.  I also added in some celery, about 2 stalks, just because I had it and thought Mark could use some more veggies. The dried basil adds even more flavor to the broth.

Are you one of the sickies this week?  Or maybe you just need to detox from all the delicious holiday sweets you've eaten.  Either way, this is probably something you need to add to your menu this week.

Recipe:

lemon garlic orzo soup
from Petit Foodie
serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, roughly grated
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions:

1) In a large pot, heat olive oil.  Add in garlic and onion.  Sauté until translucent.

2) Add in carrot.  Saute for just a few minutes.

3) Pour in chicken broth.  Season with salt and pepper.

4) Add orzo.  Cook until tender with a slight bite.

5) Squeeze in juice of half a lemon and add zest.  Season with salt, pepper and basil.  Let simmer and adjust seasonings if needed.