I was immediately drawn to this recipe as it reminds me of a soup my grandmother and mother made every Thanksgiving. I have yet to make it, not sure why but thought I would give this a go and it was well worth it. The cooler weather really inspires me to try out new soup recipes and usually crave soup if I go out for a meal.
Sit back and cozy up to this Lemon Orzo and Meatball Soup Recipe from Southern Living Magazine that I am sure the whole family will enjoy.
This could not be a simpler recipe I used a small ice cream scoop to create the meatballs. They may not be perfect but they keep your hands from getting too dirty.
You can easily make the meatball ahead of time and freeze them. Or make a double batch and freeze half for another time, you will definitely be making these again. I wish I would have thought of making a second batch of meatballs.
Doesn’t this picture just say, comfort food and soup recipes? Nothing like a few root veggies to start an amazing soup. I included celery in our Soup recipe but it is optional.
Comfort food at its best and super easy to make as well. It was not overwhelming with Lemon Flavor and it was a great twist to an old chicken soup favorite.
Lemon Orzo & Meatball soup
Brighten up your winter meals with this Lemon Orzo and Meatball soup.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons loosely packed lemon zest, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium-size sweet onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 or 2 stalks of celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 32-oz. containers chicken broth
- 5 to 6 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
- 1. Combine first 4 ingredients, 2 tsp. lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp. rosemary in a medium bowl. Shape into 30 (1-inch) meatballs (about 1 level tablespoonful each).
- 2. Sauté meatballs, in 2 batches, in 1 Tbsp. hot oil per batch in a Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Remove using a slotted spoon.
- 3. Sauté onion and next 3 ingredients in remaining 1 Tbsp. hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tsp. zest and 1/2 tsp. rosemary. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add orzo. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes or until pasta is almost tender.
- 4. Stir in meatballs; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and parsley.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 392Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 143mgSodium 1834mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 31g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on stayingclosetohome.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Yum, I love orzo. This looks easy to make too!
The recipes looks delicious and your pics are mouth watering! We have had a cold snap which has put me in the mood for just this kind of food. Thanks!