- Protein
- About 24 g of protein a portion
- Calories
- About 255 kcal a portion
- Makes
- Makes 4 portions
- Time
- 40 minutes
- Good for
- Batch cook
- Mild flavours
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1.2 litres reduced-salt chicken stock
- 2 skinless chicken breasts, about 300 g
- 100 g orzo
- 100 g frozen peas
- Juice of half a lemon
- A small handful of parsley, chopped
- Black pepper
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery gently for 8 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add the garlic for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the stock and bring it to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts whole, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until there is no pink meat left when you cut into the thickest part.
- Lift the chicken onto a board. Add the orzo to the pan and simmer for 8 minutes, or as the pack says, stirring now and then so it does not stick.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and put it back in the pan with the peas. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the peas are cooked and the soup is steaming hot.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, and season with black pepper.
Keeping it
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat once, until steaming hot all the way through. The orzo soaks up the liquid as it stands, so add a splash of water.
About the figures
The protein and calorie figures are worked out from the UK food composition tables (McCance and Widdowson's, 2021) and typical supermarket labels, so they are a guide rather than an exact count. The brands you buy may differ a little.
The figures use strained Greek-style yoghurt with about 10 g of protein in 100 g. Some yoghurts sold as Greek style have about half that, so check the label.
If you have a food allergy, check the labels of what you buy. Recipes marked vegetarian contain no meat or fish; if you need them to be vegetarian, check the cheese says it is suitable.
Cook chicken until there is no pink meat left, eat leftovers within 2 days, and reheat them only once, until steaming hot all the way through.