Thyme for more soup!

Okay, I don't normally make soup that often, but apparently I have been on a kick lately! This soup looked quick and indeed, it was. Chop the vegetables, chop the chicken and you are ready to begin!

I was a little nervous about tempering the eggs, even though I have done it for other recipes before, but it turned out really well. No curdling of the eggs occurred in this episode.

So what is so special about this recipe? The thyme, of all things! Thyme has been found not only to be an excellent source of Vitamin K, but it also contains a variety of flavonoids and many antioxidants. Add it to your list of blueberries, pomegranates and green tea as a way to get those cancer preventing enzymes in!














Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

4 tsp. olive oil, divided
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
Pinch of salt, plus more to taste
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 med. carrot, diced
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 cup orzo, preferably whole-wheat
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt, add it to the pot, and cook, stirring a few times, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot and thyme and cook, stirring over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.
Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while. Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do not let the soup come to a boil. Add the cooked chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Yield
4 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups

Nutrition Information
CALORIES 280
FAT 10g (sat 2g,mono 6g,poly 1g)
CHOLESTEROL 39mg
SODIUM 291mg
CARBOHYDRATE 22g
FIBER 2g
PROTEIN 26g

Source: Ellie Krieger's "The Food You Crave" - Love this cookbook!! Have yet to have a bad recipe from it.