Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika (eyeballing the amounts is fine). In a heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in olive oil, on each side til golden and fragrant, then set aside, no need to cook through as this will happen in the soup later.

In the same pot sauté onion and about a teaspoon of salt in oil until tender and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add more oil or a bit of water to the pot if the onion starts burning. Add celery and carrots and continue sautéing 3-4 more minutes. Then, add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about a minute.

Add 8 cups chicken stock, the bay leaf/leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, coriander, and the chicken and bring to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits, uncovered until the chicken is cooked through and pulls apart easily with two forks, about 20-30 minutes.

As you shred the chicken, add orzo and let simmer uncovered stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. At this point soup will still seem pretty brothy, but it will thicken up. Once the orzo is cooked through, add the chicken, ¼ C chopped fresh dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Taste and add more salt and lemon to taste. If it is bland, add more of each, or try a chicken bouillon cube as a last resort.

Serve with a sprig of dill and a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche. If you have neither, stir milk into the soup to taste.