By We told Sean's mother on Sunday. That was a mistake, strategically. Not about Liam—she eventually came around to Liam, grudgingly, after a forty-minute conversation in which she mentioned Declan four more times and said "well, Liam is fine, I suppose" with the tone of someone accepting a consolation prize. The problem was the middle name. She'd had it in her head that this baby would carry Patrick, the name Sean himself failed to be. Sean's middle name is Michael, his grandmother's choice and beyond appeal.
"Liam Patrick Donovan," she said.
"We were thinking Liam Sean," Sean said.
The silence that followed could have cured meat.
We are going with Liam Sean Donovan. We are not explaining this further. Maureen will come around the moment she holds him. I've watched it happen at enough hospital bedsides to know: the moment a grandmother gets her hands on something, all prior negotiating positions dissolve.
October has turned properly cold now, the kind of cold that settles in and means it. I made Italian wedding soup on Saturday—not traditional for this household, but I wanted it and I'm nineteen weeks pregnant and I get to want things without a vote. Tiny meatballs, orzo, spinach, good broth. Sean made Irish soda bread because we actually had buttermilk for once, and we ate at the table listening to rain on the windows and it felt like exactly the right kind of evening. I told the baby his name while I washed up and I felt him move, which I'm choosing to interpret as approval rather than coincidence.
Liam Sean Donovan. It's settled. It's real.
That Saturday night bowl of soup — orzo swirling in good broth, everything warm and exactly right — is what I keep coming back to when I think about this week. This lemon garlic chicken orzo soup isn’t Italian wedding soup in the traditional sense, but it has everything I was craving that evening: tender meat, orzo, greens wilting into a bright lemony broth. It’s the kind of meal that feels like settling into a decision you’ve already made, and being at peace with it.
Lemon Garlic Chicken Orzo Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
- Parmesan rind (optional, for simmering)
Instructions
- Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sear until golden on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Build the base. In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add oregano, thyme, and the Parmesan rind if using. Return the chicken breasts to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Shred and add orzo. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Add the orzo to the simmering broth and cook for 8–10 minutes until tender. Remove the Parmesan rind if used.
- Finish the soup. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice, cooking just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or, if you’re lucky, Irish soda bread made by someone who loves you.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 980mg