Loaded with fresh lemon juice and zest, this warm winter soup has just what the doctor ordered for your cold weather blues. Our tasters just couldn’t get enough of this delicious mix, flavored with sautéed fennel, onion and garlic, finished with spinach, herbs, cream and shredded MoC Rotisserie Chicken. Serve with toasted MoC Garlic Bread for a delicious dinner.
Serves: 6-8
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Diet: for vegetarian omit chicken, sub veg broth
Ingredients
1 lg fennel bulb, diced to ¼-inch
1 yellow onion, diced to ¼-inch
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T garlic, minced
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 t salt
½ t fresh ground black pepper
½ t paprika
8 c chicken broth
8 oz dry orzo pasta
1 c heavy cream or half and half
2 oz baby spinach, rough chopped
1 lb rotisserie chicken (roasted), diced
¼ c butter
pinch cayenne
1 t fresh thyme leaves
8 sage leaves
¼ c Parmesan, shredded
Steps
In soup pot over medium high heat, cook fennel and onion with olive oil until soft, 5 min. Add garlic and cook 1 min more. Add lemon juice, zest, salt, pepper, paprika and broth and bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 5 min. Add cream, spinach and chicken: heat to a simmer. Remove from heat and divide amongst serving bowls. In small skillet heat butter, cayenne, thyme and sage until sizzling and leaves begin to crisp. Divide herb butter over soup in bowls and top with sprinkle of Parmesan, fennel fronds and more lemon zest, if desired.
