Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup

OK, I had a puzzling time in the kitchen tonight. I admit it. I made a soup that had all of the components that the kids love, but they weren't totally in love with it. True, there were high points for each of them, but each kid had at least one complaint. In general, soup is a favorite because it is fun to eat, but Lucas complained that the broth was 'too lemony' and Jacob, while he loved the broth, celery and orzo, complained that the chicken was 'wet.'

So why I am I sharing this recipe? I think with a few modifications, I could have made everyone smile; so, I will tell you what I did and suggest changes in parenthesis. Make it your own according to your family's tastes.

Note that I used one helpful strategy to make this a quick recipe. Since the recipe called for cooked chicken, I roasted two bone-in chicken breasts last night while we were doing the night time routine. Simply cook the chicken in a sprayed baking dish for forty minutes at 350 degrees and then let it cool a bit and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Then, when you are ready to make the soup, you can dice it or shred it while the vegetables are cooking for the soup. You could also buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up as well.

Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup (adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, November 2005)

Timing - 25 minutes

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 t dried thyme
2 quarts chicken broth (I always use the boxed kind; you could use less, but then you should cook the pasta separately and add it at the end with the corn and parsley)
2 1/2 cups finely diced or shredded cooked chicken
3/4 cup orzo (larger pasta, like noodles, might work better for little hands/spoons)
1 1/4 cups frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (this wasn't a huge hit for the kids, so maybe leave it out)
3 T fresh lemon juice (again, not a huge hit for Lucas, so maybe try a bit less)

How to Make
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, saffron and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and return to a boil then turn down to a rapid simmer and add the pasta, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook the pasta 8 to 10 minutes (or according to package directions if using something other than orzo).

When the pasta is nearly finished, add the corn and parsley (if using) and cook just until the corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6