A few weeks ago we were all sick.  Including the dog.  The twins had colds, I had strep, Chris had a terrible cough, and Roxy had some sort of stomach bug.  It was awful.

And then, as if the marketing gods planned it (they did), our Whole Foods ran a special on whole chickens, and I felt compelled to buy one to make soup.  Because that’s what you do when you’re sick, right? Right.

Normally I doctor up my chicken soup with lots of fresh parsley, but I decided to take a slightly different spin on things and add some fresh dill along with some lemon juice.  The results? A delicious, sickness soothing dinner.  Plus there is truly nothing better then knowing at 12pm that your dinner prep is done for the day as you pop the lid on the slow cooker and walk away.  Except okay, for the yummy smell of dinner cooking that you get to enjoy upon coming home OR all day if you’re home. That is pretty great too.

So, as we all fight forward through these remaining months of winter and sickness season – know that this recipe for Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup exists.  And so does Purell (thank goodness).

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Serves 6

1 4-5lbs Whole Chicken  OR 2-3lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Pieces
6-8 cups Chicken Stock
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup Onion, diced (about 1/2 large onion)
2 cups Carrots, diced (about 5-6 carrots)
2 cups Celery, diced (about 2 small celery hearts)
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup fresh Dill, roughly chopped
1 cup uncooked Orzo
Salt & Pepper

Place the chicken (breast down if using a whole bird) in a slow cooker and season thoroughly with salt and pepper.

Add garlic, onions, carrots, and celery to the slow cooker.  Add chicken stock, using enough to cover the chicken and vegetables.  Stir and cover.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours – until the chicken is cooked and easily pulls from the bone.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred, using two forks.

Add chicken back into the slow cooker then stir in orzo. Cover and cook on low heat for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until orzo is tender.

Stir in lemon juice and dill.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve and enjoy!