Ramadan food: Lemony chicken soup

Iftar soups

When it is time to break the fast, it is best to ease into eating, rather than going straight for a full-on meal. After having a few dates with tahini or yoghurt, the next best thing to ease into eating with is soup. But after a week, sometimes inspiration runs thin for this Ramadan staple. Here we present a soup-a-day to help with culinary brain-freeze during the Holy Month.

Lemony chicken soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3-cm chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
5 cups chicken stock, or Maggi cubes in water
2 bay leaves (if available)
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1 sprig rosemary
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo pasta and rosemary. Add chicken back to the pot and reduce heat. Simmer until orzo is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.