With a twist of lemon

Remember that easy peasy chicken I made the other night? The one I made in the slow cooker?

I sure hope so because you are going to need it for this.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti. Yumminess in a bowl.

Mark asked me to make this soup specifically this week. I’m not sure whether it’s because he agrees with my description or that the source of the recipe is a certain Food Network star whom he enjoys, ahem, watching.

I find it really unfair that someone is allowed to look like that but I’ll give her a pass, if only because of the soup.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti

Adapted from Giada di Laurentiis

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 dried bay leaf

1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) whole wheat spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces, *see Cook's Note

2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the carrots and simmer until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the broken pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in \the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls.

Mark and I enjoyed the soup for dinner, along with a grilled cheese. It was a bit of a haphazard grilled cheese as I was missing some key ingredients – decent cheese and tomatoes. I used some American slices and a stick of Kraft Tomato Basil string cheese. Surprisingly, it worked. Go me!

What did you have for dinner tonight?