Favorite Chicken Soup for Cold and Flu Season

Heat olive oil and butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until butter is melted. Add chopped onion and celery.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add carrots to pot, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until carrots soften 5 – 7 minutes.

Add chicken stock; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken; reduce heat to simmer. When chicken is warmed through, add orzo to pot, cooking until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Add a lemon slice to garnish soup and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Add chicken carcass to 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven or stockpot. Add, veggies, garlic, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.

Fill pot with cold water to cover chicken. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, with lid off of pot. Allow stock to simmer 60 – 90 minutes until stock has reduced and flavorful.

Taste and add additional salt as needed towards end of cooking time.

Strain solids through colander and allow chicken stock to cool.

Skim and remove fat that rises to the top of the cooled stock.

Transfer stock to containers and refrigerate. Use chicken stock within 3 days or freeze until ready to use.