Lemon Chicken Orzo Stew

Acquire the necessary ingredients for this dish.

Boil a substantial amount of salted water in a large vessel until it reaches a rolling boil. Introduce orzo into the boiling water and return to a boil, stirring occasionally until the pasta is partially cooked but still retains some firmness, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and submerge in an ice bath until cooled completely.

Simultaneously, warm olive oil in a large cooking vessel over medium heat. Add sliced carrots, chopped celery, and diced onion; cook gently while stirring until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent, roughly 5 minutes. Introduce minced garlic into the mixture; cook while stirring until fragrant, approximately 1 minute more. Season the vegetable combination with dried thyme, oregano, a bay leaf, salt, and black pepper; continue cooking for another 30 seconds before adding chicken broth to the pot.

Bring the broth to a boil. Partially cover the cooking vessel, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, approximately 10 minutes.

Combine cooked orzo, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and grated lemon zest into the broth. Add diced chicken; cook until both the chicken and orzo are heated through, about 5 minutes. Introduce a handful of baby spinach into the mixture; cook until the spinach has wilted and absorbed by the broth, and orzo is fully tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls; garnish with lemon slices and shaved Parmesan cheese.