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Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti

Nothing warms up a cold winter night like chicken soup, especially when there are hearty chunks of chicken and pieces of pasta waiting in the bottom of the bowl. When I came home from the hospital with Jade, friends and family took turns bringing food by for Todd and me. Sandra Tripicchio, who is an invaluable part of putting together my shows and books, made us a big batch of this lemony chicken soup, and it’s been a staple in our house ever since. You’ll love the way the lemon brightens the soup’s flavor.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) broken spaghetti (2-inch pieces are perfect) or short pasta
2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, and bay leaf to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Add the chicken and heat through, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Step 3

    Discard the bay leaf. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.
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