IT IS AMAZING.

Every ingredient is so well thought out, each delivering a unique flavor and/or texture.

This chopped salad begins with a base of orzo pasta and builds from there. Check out the ingredients below.

The ingredients laid out above will make a gigantic crowd-worthy salad. Easily enough to feed 8 people as a meal, more as a side dish. We’ll be eating on it for days and I’m okay with that!

The Ingredients

• Orzo pasta – cooked, drained and cooled
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts – grilled and cubed
• Spinach and radicchio – julienned
• Tomatoes – diced
• Black olives – sliced
• Sundried tomatoes – chopped
• Pine nuts – lightly toasted
• Capers – drained
• Parmesan cheese – shredded or shaved
• Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette – garlic, lemon, red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt

The Process

• Roast garlic at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (see How to Oven Roast Garlic)
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions
• Grill chicken breasts
• Slice and dice remaining ingredients
• When garlic is done, prepare vinaigrette
• Toss and serve

Right before serving, toss the salad with the Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette. The wonderful thing about this salad (and vinaigrette) is that it holds up nicely in warm weather. This might be my favorite picnic salad yet!

This Insalata Chicken Florentine also keeps well. We literally will eat on this for three days and it’s just as good as the very first bite.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Insalata Chicken Florentine (Macaroni Grill Copycat)

This crowd-pleaser salad is amazing! Every ingredient is so well thought out, each delivering a unique flavor and/or texture.

Course Entree, Salad Entree

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts grilled and cubed
• 1 pound orzo pasta cooked, drained, cooled
• 5 ounces fresh spinach julienned
• 1 head radicchio julienned
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 cup black olives sliced
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup pine nuts lightly toasted
• 3.5 ounce jar capers drained
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese shredded or shaved
• 1 cup Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette see recipe link in post

Instructions

• Grill chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Prepare orzo according to package instructions. Drain and cool. Julienne, slice or chop remaining ingredients. Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss with vinaigrette. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese.

The post Insalata Chicken Florentine (Copycat Macaroni Grill) appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Truth.

I wanted to deliver something beautiful, vibrant and healthy to a special new mom who had just done the same.

Let’s start with this bowl of veggie love.

I included asparagus, corn, cucumber, green beans, red onion, summer squash, sweet peppers, and tri-colored tomatoes.

I blanched the corn on the cob, asparagus and green beans for just a minute or two.

Everything else is raw.

As much as I could dive right into that happy bowl, I wanted to make it a little more comfortable.

Remember, we’re talking new mom :)

So I added tender orzo pasta to the mix and swaddled it in Fresh Herb Vinaigrette.

Oh how I love a chopped salad.

Sure it takes a little time to slice and dice but in the end the message it delivers is clear ~ you are loved.

Couldn’t we all benefit from that message.

This Spring Chopped Salad may be my new favorite and will definitely be on rotation throughout the summer.

Beautiful, vibrant and healthy is the goal.

Fresh bright flavors is what we love and enjoy.

Sending warm hugs to Nicole & CJ as you navigate this amazing parenthood journey (my dream job).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Spring Chopped Salad

This Spring Chopped Salad may be my new favorite and will definitely be on rotation throughout the summer. Beautiful, vibrant and healthy is the goal. Fresh bright flavors is what we enjoy.

Course Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups diced fresh veggies I included asparagus, corn, cucumber, green beans, red onion, summer squash, sweet peppers, and tri-colored tomatoes.
• 1/2 pound orzo pasta prepared according to package instructions
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 cup Fresh Herb Vinaigrette Recipe link in post
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Blanch corn on the cob, asparagus and green beans in boiling water for just a minute or two. Then plunge into an ice bath to cool. Remove corn from the cob. Cut all remaining veggies, except arugula, into small diced pieces. Toss cooked orzo with chopped veggies and fresh herb vinaigrette. Serve over a bed of baby arugula.

The post Spring Chopped Salad Delivers Comfort appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I made a big batch of Gazpacho to take to a family gathering.  I thought it would be a nice refreshing change and it was.  However, even after our party I had a good amount left, along with my favorite fine diced confetti colored veggies.  This is how the Gazpacho Grain Bowl with Confetti Veggies was born.

I prepared a batch of Quinoa combined with wild rice, split peas, orzo and couscous.  Seasoned it with salt, pepper and cumin.  Delicious.  This became the base for our bowl, although today for lunch I added a layer of fresh baby spinach as well.

One of my favorite ways to serve Gazpacho is with fine diced multi-colored raw veggies sprinkled on top.  Choose any of your favorites like tomato, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, jalapeno, red onion…  And personally, nice fresh gazpacho loves a squeeze of lemon juice.  I added about a half cup of the above to our grain bowl, finished with a generous drizzle of Gazpacho.  Here’s our go-to Gazpacho recipe.

Gazpacho Grain Bowl {with Confetti Veggies} is so delicious & healthy, bursting with fresh from the garden flavor.  This will definitely become a new Healthy Choices favorite as we head into summer.

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Gazpacho Grain Bowl {with Confetti Veggies}

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 cups Gazpacho see recipe link in post
• 1 cup quinoa or favorite grain blend
• 2 cups finely diced veggies like zucchini tomato, summer squash, radish, cucumber, bell peppers, jalapeno.
• 4 lemon wedges
• 1 tsp. cumin
• salt & pepper to taste
• fresh baby spinach optional

Instructions

• Prepare gazpacho according to recipe in post. Chill.
• Prepare quinoa or grains, according to package instructions. Season with cumin, salt & pepper. Can chill or serve warm.
• Per bowl, spoon a 1/2 cup of cooked grains in bowl. Add fresh baby spinach (optional), 1/2 cup of gazpacho and 1/2 cup diced confetti veggies.

Notes

WW Pts+ = 5 points

The post Gazpacho Grain Bowl {with Confetti Veggies} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

So many beautiful colors and flavors in this Mediterranean Lunch Bowl.  Roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, luscious olives, orzo pasta, baby spinach, and grilled lemon & herb chicken.  Pulled together from ingredients already in our fridge and pantry. 

It was about a week ago when I made this fabulous 7-Layer Hot Italian Dip.  Several of those layers found their way into the Mediterranean Lunch Bowl.  Just a little hint that these two recipes play very nicely together.

As a bonus, this lunch bowl fits nicely into our healthy choices plan.  Because the ingredients bring big bold flavor there was no need for a heavy dressing.  Instead I simply used some of the juices from the olives, red pepper and artichoke hearts with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.  And serving this bowl….in a bowl, keeps portion control in check.  Go me.

I’ve mentioned recently that we have a new Sprouts Farmers Market, conveniently located along my route to work.  They have a gorgeous olive bar, loaded with all kinds of marinated love.  You can buy as little as one olive if you choose.  That makes a Mediterranean Lunch Bowl all the more wonderful.

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Mediterranean Lunch Bowl

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the lemon & herb chicken…

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast 6-8 ounces
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 2 fresh oregano sprigs
• 1 Tbl. capers
• 1 lemon

For the bowls…

• 1/2 cup orzo pasta
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• roasted red pepper with juice
• marinated artichoke hearts with juice
• assorted olives with juice
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

For the lemon & herb chicken…

• Press the rosemary, oregano, capers and 2-3 lemon slices onto the chicken breast. Grill in a grill-pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then gently turn and grill an additional 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

For the bowl…

• Prepare the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain; season with olive oil, salt & pepper.
• Divide fresh spinach, sliced grilled chicken, orzo, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, and olives between two bowls.
• Combine reserved marinating liquids with olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Drizzle over bowl ingredients.

The post Mediterranean Lunch Bowl appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Basil Chicken Soup with Orzo was the natural follow-up to our Whole Roasted Basil Pesto Chicken we enjoyed the night before.  This soup had all the comfort of homemade chicken soup, plus a little extra flavor happiness with fresh basil stirred in to finish.  Really delicious.

As we do each week, after we roast a whole chicken and enjoy a roast chicken dinner, we turn the carcass into homemade chicken broth. 

Depending on how we happen to season the roast chicken dictates the direction we take the subsequent soup.  If we make a simple herb roasted chicken, we typically freeze the broth for use in other dishes throughout the week. 

However if we make a spicy roast chicken, we’ll often make Mexican soups.  If we use lemon, garlic, and oregano you can bet a Greek Lemon Chicken Soup will be born.  Occasionally we work backwards, for instance if we know we want to make Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup, we’ll season our roast chicken with ginger and soy.  The subtle layers of flavor are what we live for in our cooking.

So which recipe inspiration came first, the Chicken Soup or the Whole Roast Chicken?

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Basil Chicken Soup with Orzo

Course Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 large onion diced
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup orzo uncooked
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked chicken cubed
• 1 can Great Northern Beans rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbl. fresh basil chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch cayenne pepper
• fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• In a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-low heat, sauté onion, carrot, and celery in 1 Tbl. olive oil until just tender, 10-15 minutes.
• Add in garlic and orzo and stir for a couple minutes. Then add in the broth, simmer gently until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Add in chicken and beans and cook until heated through.
• Before serving, stir in fresh chopped basil. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
• Serve in bowls. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

The post Basil Chicken Soup {with Orzo & White Beans} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Salmon with Roasted Vegetable Orzo.

Sharing a nice simple dinner we enjoyed recently.  Not much to the recipe, but sometimes a little inspiration is all you need.  Have fun with it.  Season your salmon the way you love it, roast it with a few of your favorite summer veggies, and serve over a bed a orzo pasta.

Simple fresh ingredients make some of the nicest meals.  This one would also be wonderful served chilled, drizzled with a light vinaigrette.  Mmm.  I may have just inspired myself.  Enjoy.

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Salmon with Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Course Entree

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 6- ounce salmon fillets
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
• 2 shallot sliced
• 1 ear corn kernels removed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup snow pea pods
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 sprig lemony thyme rosemary, or oregano
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
• 1 cup orzo

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Sprinkle salmon fillets with Mrs. Dash, salt & pepper and place on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Gently toss vegetables with garlic, olive oil, herbs, salt & pepper and add to the baking sheet.
• Baked for 17 – 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare orzo according to package instructions. Season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper.
• To serve, top cooked orzo with salmon fillet and roasted vegetables.

The post Salmon with Roasted Vegetable Orzo appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with Orzo & Bacon}.

Thought I’d take Roasted Brussels Sprouts in a little different direction, by pan roasting them, then tossing them with crispy bacon and orzo, and topping with toasted panko breadcrumbs.  I’m really glad I did. 

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Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with Orzo & Bacon}

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
• 1 cup orzo uncooked
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• salt
• pepper
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and all but 1 Tbl. bacon drippings. Add Brussels sprouts to pan cut side down. Allow to sear 5-6 minutes until browned.
• Stir in uncooked orzo, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until orzo is tender. Add additional water if necessary. Remove from heat and season with sliced scallions, crumbled bacon, salt & pepper.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
• In same skillet melt butter over medium heat, add panko and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Pour crumbs over Brussels sprouts and serve.

The post Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with Orzo & Bacon} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Do you ever envision a recipe and think to yourself brilliant!, this is the most brilliant creation anyone has ever imagined. 

I will make it and they will name it after me.  But just to be safe, let’s do a quick google search just to be sure someone else hadn’t already thought of it. 

For a fleeting moment this Buffalo Wing Chicken Soup was my chance for fame.  Sadly, it’s not my time….let’s just say it’s been done a time or two.

We started our chicken breasts in the slow cooker so that when we got home that night, all we had to do was build this wonderful soup.  

This is a great Game Day recipe or week night dinner and has all the goodness of a big plate of chicken wings served with a side of blue cheese dressing. 

Buffalo Wing Chicken Soup.  Brilliant!

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Buffalo Wing Chicken Soup {with Orzo}

Course Soup

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
• ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 medium carrots peeled, and cut into half moons
• 1 Tbl. ranch dressing dry seasoning mix
• 2 Tbl. cilantro
• 32 ounces chicken stock
• ⅔ cup Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese grated
• 4 ounces parmesan cheese grated
• ¼ cup scallions thinly sliced
• ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
• cilantro leaves and scallions for garnish

Instructions

• Cook chicken breasts in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
• Cook orzo according to package directions until about half way done. Drain and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Sauté onion and carrots until just tender 4-5 minutes. Then add in garlic and scallions, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with ranch mix and stir to combine.
• Add chicken broth, buffalo sauce, cheddar, parmesan and shredded chicken. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then add in the orzo and bring soup to a boil, stirring frequently until orzo is al dente.
• Serve with sliced scallions, additional cilantro and blue cheese crumbles.

The post Buffalo Wing Chicken Soup {with Orzo} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash}, inspired by this wonderfully delightful recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  As I’ve said many times before I eat with my eyes first and the vision of these beautiful roasted delicata squash is what drew me to this recipe.

Just as Heidi’s recipe suggested I added other veggies we had on hand: Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, new potatoes, parsnip, and spinach.  Anytime you can roast your vegetables before adding them to a dish means you have just insured yourself a wonderful flavor boost.  And roasting is a great time to try something new.  These delicata squash were a first for us and as suggested we roasted them with their skins on, making them super easy to work with.  They have a wonderful winter squash flavor, a cross between an acorn and butternut squash.

I didn’t want to overpower the individual flavors of the vegetables so I just tossed them in a nice roasted onion and cilantro olive oil with fresh herbs, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper.  I cooked the spinach on a separate baking sheet until the leaves were crispy.  Who knew?!  Delicious.  Combined the roasted vegetables with cooked orzo and called it the perfect lunch.

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Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash}

Anytime you can roast your vegetables before adding them to a dish means you have just insured yourself a wonderful flavor boost.

Course Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author 101 Cookbooks, lightly adapted

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry orzo cooked according to package instructions
• 1 medium or 2 small delicata squash cut in half lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 1/4″ thick half moons
• 6-8 Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half
• 6-8 small new potatoes cut in half or quartered
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 parsnip peeled and thin sliced
• 2 handfuls of spinach leaves stems removed
• 2-3 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves only, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano chopped
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Prepare orzo according to package instructions, then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt & peper, cover and reserve.
• Prepare all vegetables, except spinach and toss in olive oil, herbs, salt & pepper. Spread in single layer on foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until veggies are tender and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, spread spinach leaves on foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray, then lightly spray leaves. Bake on separate oven rack for last 10 minutes or until slightly crispy. They will continue to crisp as they cool.
• Gently toss roasted veggies with orzo, sprinkle with crispy spinach leaves and freshly cracked pepper.

The post Roasted Vegetable Orzo {Featuring Delicata Squash} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I am loving my new star ingredients from Oli+Ve, Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar.  In fact I’ll be back for refills this weekend.  Whenever I have the opportunity to cook for a group, small or large, I love to try something new.  It’s risky (if it flops) but measuring the mmmm mmm good tells you best whether it’s a keeper or history.

Today, I created Orzo Salad with Peppercorn & Balsamic Poached Pears.  I tossed cooled orzo in lemon oil with a little salt & pepper.  Added fresh spinach, watercress, scallions, blackberries, sliced almonds, fresh lemony thyme leaves and peppercorn & balsamic poached pears.  Drizzled all ingredients with Lemon Blackberry Vinaigrette.  I think they liked it.  That makes me happy.

The post Orzo Salad with Peppercorn & Balsamic Poached Pears {Share the Love} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.