Greek Lemon Orzo Soup

A Greek encounter this week: exchanged a quick pleasantry with actress Rita Wilson, but I won?t tell you where (hey, this is LA, celebs are everywhere). I love Greeks and I love Greek food, thanks to college pals, brothers John and George (who were my high school pals, too). Their Yayas cooked yummy stuff for them every visit home, which they brought back to school and shared. Nice boys.

Here at home, we have a nearby fast food place called Daphne?s that serves surprisingly good Greek food. Their tangy Lemon Orzo Soup is sooo lemony, gives me a little tummy burn sometimes. So I was excited to find a recipe for this good stuff in the January/February Martha Stewart?s Everyday Food. The haircutter?s salon was too crowded for me to sneaky-tear-it-out; I actually paid my money for a copy of that issue. Martha?s recipe was twice the size I needed and was made with rice, but I wanted to use orzo. Below is my adaptation. If you suffer from heartburn, just admire the photo. It?s quite tangy.

Greek Lemon Orzo Soup

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

In a medium saucepan, combine broth and chicken. Bring broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat, reduce heat slightly so liquid is moving but not simmering. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and let rest until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite sized pieces.

Add 1 cup water to the broth, bring back to a rapid simmer, add orzo and cook according to package directions. Return chicken to pot. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice. Whisking constantly, slowly pour 1 cup hot broth into egg mixture, immediately whisk egg mixture into pot. Season soup with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley. Makes 2 large servings