I am currently writing this entry poolside in Texas, as I am down here all week for the annual tech/music/film festival mecca known as South By Southwest. And while pulled pork nachos and other Texan culinary delights are abound down here, I still have some cooking endeavors I'd stored up to share. So rather than waste the afternoon playing Draw Something (newest app obsession!) I figure share, I must.

I made this soup a few weeks ago (and consequently brought it to work for lunch and ate it for days to follow), but even though soup is usually considered cold-weather fare, I think this light, bright and delicious number is perfect for spring time. And, after chatting with my friends back home and discovering it is currently seventy degrees out in Boston, it seems the warmer weather is certainly upon us.

Dill is one of my favorite herbs, despite it not being quite as versatile as some others. I had purchased a bunch for the Tzatziki-like-sauce I made with some Greek-inspired turkey meatballs, and didn't want to waste the rest. After reviewing the contents of my fridge and pantry, this soup was a no-brainer.






What it's Made of:

• 2 T Butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2" pieces
• 32 oz chicken broth
• ~5 sprigs dill, removed from stems and chopped
• Kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano and celery salt
• 2 lemons (juice and zest)
• 1 cup orzo

How it's Made:

• Heat butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until just melted
• Add garlic, shallots and onion to pot, stir and allow to soften, ~5 minutes
• Add chicken and allow to brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side
• Cover veggies and chicken with broth, bring to a boil (reserve some broth and add as it evaporates during the cooking process)
• Add dill, juice of both lemons and zest of one, and about a palmful of each spice 
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, adding broth as needed
• Add orzo and stir (watch carefully, my orzo started to burn on the bottom of the pot)
• Serve immediately once orzo is cooked through, another 7 or so minutes.
• Serve with a hunk of bread or glass of white wine (or both!)