Category: Greek

Lemon Chicken Orzo

Created on 1/10/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1.5 lemons, squeezed

Instructions:

Step One: Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces

Step Two: Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes

Step Three: Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over

Notes: Use leftover rotisserie chicken instead of chicken thighs, also add Better than Chicken Bouillon Cube. Add lemon zest to make the soup more lemon forward

Avgolomeno Soup

Created on 8/17/2023

Ingredients:

  • 6 pieces small-medium size chicken thighs (bone-in and skin on) – about 1¾ pounds total, pat the chicken dry with paper towels
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1½ tablespoons minced garlic
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice, (rinsed and drained)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, (optional)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh dill (optional)
  • Parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions:

Step One: Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Press the “Sauté” key and when the instant pot displays “hot”, heat the oil and sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Set aside

Step Two: Add the onion, cook until tender for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, cook just until fragrant. Add in the broth. Be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of pan to flavor the soup and to prevent burning

Step Three: Add the rinsed rice, salt (optional), and the seared chicken thighs back into the pot. Secure the lid and set it to “manual” on high for 5 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is completed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes then move the valve to venting to release the remaining pressure. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and shred into small pieces

Step Four: Fill a blender with a cup of rice and broth mixture, egg yolks, lemon juice and dill (optional). Puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup and shredded chicken into the pot, simmer until thickened slightly for a few minutes. Do not let it come to a boil, stirring often. Add more salt, pepper, and/ or lemon if necessary and according to your liking. Garnish with parsley

Notes: Don’t forget to rinse and drain the rice before cooking. If more lemon juice is needed, add in small increments of 1 teaspoon at a time. If you want a thinner soup you can add more broth later. Do not fill your Instant Pot more than ⅔ full