Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup

I really wanted this to have more flavor. It smelled fantastic, especially when the orzo was being toasted. But it just fell flat. I even added some dill to try to pump up the flavors a bit, but no such luck. If you can find some way to make this more exciting, I'd be so happy to hear it. It's a healthy and easy to make soup. I just wish I liked it more.

I also modified the amount of lemon zest in the recipe I'm including below. While I think the soup benefited from the lemon flavor, I think using 2 teaspoons overpowered the soup a bit, so I recommend only using 1 teaspoon.

Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup
A variation on this recipe by Rachael Ray



32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast pieces or tenders
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, peeled finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock and chicken to a simmer, making sure the the chicken is entirely immersed. Lower the heat and poach the chicken for 12-15 minutes.

Heat a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter to melt. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until deeply toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the oil to the dutch oven. Add the zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, shallots and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Return the orzo to the pot.

Remove the chicken from the stock. Skim and discard the fat from the stock; transfer the stock to the dutch oven. Chop, dice or shred the chicken and add to the soup with 2 cups water. Bring the soup to a boil and cook until the orzo is just tender, 5 minutes. Add the peas during the last minute of cooking. Turn off the heat; stir in the parsley, dill and lemon zest. Serve immediately (orzo will plump the longer it sits).