Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup With Spinach Food

CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN SOUP WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Place a large 6-8 quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the butter, onions, and celery. Sauté for 3 minutes. Then add in the carrots and garlic and sauté another 2 minutes to soften.
• Place whole raw chicken breasts in the pot. Add in the lemon zest, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat if needed and simmer for about 15 minutes (covered) to cook the chicken.
• Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch (or glucomannan) together until very smooth.
• Once the chicken has cooked through, pull the chicken breasts out of the pot with tongs and set on a cutting board.
• Stir the heavy cream mixture and parmesan cheese into the soup base to thicken. Stir another minute, until the parmesan melts and blends smoothly into the soup base.
• Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts. Then stir the shredded chicken, spinach, and parsley in the soup. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, with extra parmesan if desired!

LEMON, CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the orzo. Cook until the orzo is just tender, about 7 minutes.
• Add the chicken and simmer until heated through. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill and lemon zest. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with additional dill.

CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, then add the oil. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, and place in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Add the garlic to the pan, carefully add the wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to release any flavor stuck to the bottom. Add the cream, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, stir and return the chicken to the pan. Cook for 1 minute more, until the spinach has wilted. Garnish with basil and lemon slices.

LEMON CHICKEN SOUP WITH SPINACH RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Dumplings -- I make them ahead, because the soup cooks pretty quick. Also, once you make them, put them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so they firm up. This just makes them easier to cook in the broth.
• In a small bowl, mix up the ricotta, spinach, parmesan, egg, flour, salt and pepper. Dust your hands with flour and roll the ricotta mix into dumplings. I make them about 1/2 the size of a golf ball or small walnut sized. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer. Just about 20-30 minutes as you start the soup. This will help the dumplings to firm up and steam well in the soup.
• Egg Mixture -- In a small sauce pan, bring 1 cup of the broth to a simmer on medium heat. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the lemon juice, flour and eggs and mix well. Once the broth warms up, slowly drizzle 1/2 of the broth, a little at a time into the egg mixture. This will temper the eggs, which means the eggs will warm up to the temperature of the broth and they won't scramble when added into the warm broth. Now, slowly add all the egg mixture back into the rest of the broth in the pot. Then cook the egg and broth mixture on medium heat until slightly thickened. Don't let it boil. Once it thickens, just turn off the heat, this will be added later.
• Soup Base -- In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and bring to medium-medium high heat. Add in the onion, garlic, celery mushrooms and pinch of salt, and saute for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the broth and bring to a light boil boil for about 5 minutes.
• Dumplings -- Now, depending on the size of your pot you may be able to cook the dumplings all at once, but I don't like to crowd them. I add in 1/2 the dumplings and a time, you don't want to over crowd them and cook 4-5 minutes until done. They will start to float. Remove to a bowl and add the remaining dumplings, cook another 4-5 minutes.
• Finish Soup -- Reduce the temperature of the soup to medium low, and then slowly add the egg mixture to the soup, along with the chicken, cooked orzo, dill and check for seasoning. Add in the dumplings and just heat and serve.
• Serve -- Garnish each bowl or soup with a lemon slice and fresh ground black pepper and ENJOY!