Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

Sorry for the belated post- we have had several rounds of sickness through our house, and I've been a bit behind!
So here is the promised Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo recipe!
Ingredients:
4 tsp olive oil
8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
pinch of salt
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orzo, preferably whole wheat
2 large eggs (I used egg whites, which may change the texture of the soup a bit)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat 2 tsp 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 tsp of 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 and 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 pepper and serve.

The perfect meal for a cold, snowy evening! Add some yummy crusty bread on the side, like a French baguette and you are good to go!
Be sure to swing back by this week for my newest creation, Mediterranean Chicken. It was an experiment to try to recreate something a friend made, but it turned out different, and pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself!
Enjoy!
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-Mama