Orzo & chicken meatball soup

By jeanniek521

Ingredients

• Mini Chicken Meatballs
• 1 -1 pound ground chicken
• 1 -1 egg
• 1/2 -1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 -1/2 tsp onion powder
• -salt and pepper to taste
• -olive oil to sautee
• 1 . Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
• 2 . Make little meatbals about the size of a quarter.
• 3 . Preheat your oil in your soup pot and sautee your meatballs until they are golden brown in color.
• Soup
• 2 -2 quarts chicken stock/broth (storebought or homemade)
• 1 -1 medium sized onion, diced
• 15 -15 baby carrots, sliced into rounds
• *I prefer to use baby carrots because I don't have to peel or wash them, they are just ready to go*
• 2 -2 Stalks of celery
• 1 -1 bay leaf
• 1/2 -1/2 cup orzo
• -zest and juice off 1/2 a lemon
• 1 -1 tbsp chicken base
• -Salt and Pepper to taste
• -a handful of parsley, chopped for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

1. After your meatballs are done cooking remove them into a seperate bowl and turn the heat down to a medium low.
2. Add your onion, celery, carrots and bay leaf.
3. Toss in the oil and the browned bits from the meatballs.
4. You only want to soften the veggies, not brown them.
5. Cook them for about 7-10 minutes.
6. Once softened, add in your chicken stock/broth and turn up the hear to medium-high.
7. Once the soup comes up to a boil add in your orzo.
8. When orzo is al dente, add in your meatballs and cook for five minutes more.
9. Once meatballs are done, add in lemon juice, lemon zest and chicken base. Season to taste. *You will notice the soup will become a bit more yellow from the base. Taste it for seasoning. If you want a richer flavor, add in some more 1/2 a teaspoon at a time.*
10. Remove bay leave and serve. Garnish with the chopped parsley