Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Soup with Preserved Lemon & Orzo

13 hours ago
4 min read

A Slow-built broth, preserved lemon depth, and the ancient avgolemono technique, finished with a generous pour of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

HF Kitchen

There is a version of chicken soup that is merely comforting, and then there is this one. This is the soup that makes you understand why certain cuisines have remained unchanged for centuries — not out of stubbornness, but because they got it exactly right the first time. The technique at its heart is avgolemono: a Greek method of whisking eggs and lemon juice together before tempering them slowly into hot broth, creating a finish that is simultaneously silky, bright, and wholly unlike anything a spoonful of cream could ever produce. But we go one step further. A single quarter of preserved lemon — its rind finely chopped and stirred into the broth early — adds a depth of citrus that fresh lemon alone simply cannot reach. Floral, concentrated, and faintly complex, it is the ingredient that will make everyone around the table ask what you did differently.

Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Soup with Preserved Lemon & Orzo

INGREDIENTS

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Kirkland Signature or President's Choice Organics)
1 yellow onion, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 litres of low-sodium chicken broth
1 preserved lemon quarter, rind only, finely chopped
1 cup orzo pasta
3 large eggs
0.5 cups fresh lemon juice (approximately 3 lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
0.5 cups fresh dill, roughly chopped
0.3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn
2 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon dried oregano
0.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 pinch flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for finishing

STEPS

Build the base: Set your Le Creuset or Staub Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Kirkland Signature or President's Choice Organics) and let it warm until it shimmers — not smokes. Add 1 yellow onion, finely diced, 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds, and 2 celery stalks, sliced. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened and just turning golden at the edges. Add 5 garlic cloves, minced and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Brown and braise the chicken: Season 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs generously with 1 pinch flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Nestle them skin-side down into the pot and let them sear undisturbed until the skin releases and turns deep golden. Flip and cook for another 25 minutes. Pour in 2 litres of low-sodium chicken broth, add 1 preserved lemon quarter, rind only, finely chopped, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

Simmer low and slow: Cover and simmer until the chicken is completely tender and pulling away from the bone. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool slightly. Shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.

Cook the orzo: Bring the broth back to a steady simmer. Stir in 1 cup of orzo pasta and cook until just al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The orzo will continue to absorb liquid as the soup rests, so pull it just before you think it's ready.

Temper the avgolemono: In a large bowl, whisk 3 large eggs vigorously until pale and slightly foamy. Whisk in 0.5cups fresh lemon juice (approximately 3 lemons) and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Now — slowly ladle one cup of hot broth into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Add a second ladle. This tempering process is what transforms the broth into something silky and golden rather than scrambled. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot while stirring. Do not boil again.

Finish and serve: Stir through 2 cups of baby spinach and let it wilt into the broth for 1 minute. Taste and adjust — more lemon, more salt. Ladle into deep bowls. Finish each serving with torn 0.5 cups fresh dill, roughly chopped, 0.3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn, and a generous pour of 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for finishing. Serve immediately with good crusty bread alongside.

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NOTE:

On the preserved lemon: One jar. That is all it takes to permanently change the way you cook. The rind of a Moroccan-style preserved lemon carries a citrus depth that is concentrated, faintly floral, and entirely beyond what a fresh lemon can offer — no matter how good the lemon is. Use the rind only, rinsed briefly under cold water, then chopped fine and added early so the flavour has time to settle into the broth. Find it at Middle Eastern grocers, quality specialty importers, or any well-stocked fine food shop. It keeps for months in the fridge and will quietly make its way into everything else you cook.

On the olive oil: Quality matters more here than in almost any other recipe, because you're finishing with it raw. Reach for a cold-pressed extra virgin — Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil or President's Choice Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, both deliver excellent depth at an honest price point.

On the pot: A heavy-bottomed enamelled Dutch oven — Le Creuset or Staub — is not a luxury here, it's a tool. The even heat distribution prevents scorching and allows the long, low simmer that gives this broth its body.

Make it ahead: Cook the soup base in full, but hold the orzo and the avgolemono until you are ready to serve. Both are ten-minute additions that make the soup taste as though it was made that morning — because effectively, the best part of it was.

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