Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Packed with veggies, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a hearty, comforting soup that's on the table in just 40 minutes. With a bright lemon flavor, it's a filling soup that's perfect for busy weeknights.
📌 Soup Summary
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Bright, lemony, and savory with tender chicken and comforting broth.
- 🕒 Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🥄 Texture: Light, brothy soup with tender chicken, soft vegetables, and delicate orzo
- 👩🍳 Best For: Cozy weeknight dinners, meal prep lunches, or when you want something light but comforting
- 💡 Pro Tip: Orzo continues absorbing broth as it sits, so add extra broth when reheating leftovers for the best texture.
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You'll love curling up with a bowl of this lemon orzo soup. Loaded with all sorts of vegetables like my spring minestrone soup, and rotisserie chicken, it has a warm base with a pop of fresh lemony flavor that just makes you crave more.
A vibrant twist on a classic chicken noodle soup, this orzo chicken soup has a bit more of a hearty feel. I always expected this to be a winter-only soup, but I find myself making it over and over again all year long, along with Italian sausage soup with pasta.
Why This Recipe Works
- Comforting Texture: The orzo in this recipe naturally thickens the soup slightly, making it delicious and filling.
- Lemony Flavor: Since the lemon juice and zest are mixed in at the end, the chicken orzo soup retains the pop of bright and fresh flavor.
- Easy to Make: There's only 10 minutes of prep time with this recipe, which means it's a perfect soup to whip up after work on a busy night, just like vegetarian tortellini soup.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Orzo: This is a dry-cut type of pasta that almost looks like rice. As it cooks, it releases its starch, which is what gives this soup its unique texture.
- Lemons: You'll need both the juice and the zest for the recipe, so make sure that the lemons you have on hand are fresh.
- Cooked chicken: Any baked or rotisserie chicken can work for the lemon orzo chicken soup. So, use up any leftovers you have on hand.
- Broth: A low-sodium chicken broth works best so that you can manually adjust the flavor. Of course, homemade instant pot chicken broth works beautifully.
- Bouillon cube: Though it isn't necessary, it adds a richer, more savory flavor to the soup base.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Dietary Modifications & Variations
- Gluten-free: To make the chicken orzo soup recipe, you'll need to use gluten-free orzo. If you're having trouble finding it, you can use rice in a pinch. You'll also want to double-check your broth and bouillon cube for gluten.
- Vegetables: Both carrots and celery are classic staples in chicken soup. However, you could easily use a frozen carrot and pea mix, or add more vegetables like zucchini, spinach, or kale for more nutrients.
- Vegetarian: Skip the chicken and use instant pot vegetable broth as the base to make this recipe a tasty meatless Monday dish.
- Ground chicken: Use browned ground chicken in place of the cooked chicken, just like I did in this ground chicken soup.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This soup comes together easily enough, so long as you have cooked chicken on hand. Either use a rotisserie chicken and shred it, or use chicken breasts and cube them before you're ready to start.
Step 1: Prep the Veggies. Heat a large pot over medium heat with both oil and butter before adding the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until tender.
Step 2: Seasonings. Sprinkle the garlic and thyme into the pot and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the Broth. Stir in the chicken broth and bouillon. Bring it all to a simmer with the lid cracked. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Mix in the Orzo. Add the orzo and give it a good stir before bringing it back to a simmer and letting it cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Finish it Off. Add the chicken to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve with a side of cheesy biscuits.
Lyn's Top Tips
- Taste test: Once you add the lemon juice and remaining seasonings, taste the soup and adjust the ingredients to your preference.
- Stirring: As the orzo cooks, stir the soup frequently. This helps the grain from sticking to the pan.
- Sauteing: Give your garlic and onion time to cook. Letting them saute until they're fragrant is what gives the soup its comforting flavor.
- Storing: Once cooled, store leftover lemony chicken orzo soup in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove over low heat and add an extra splash of broth, as it will thicken from being stored.
- Freezing: If you know you'll be freezing this soup, only make the base of the soup and do not add the orzo. Orzo tends to absorb liquid, so it's best added before you'll be enjoying it. Store the chicken soup once cooled for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this chicken and orzo soup topped with fresh parsley or even a sprinkle of cheese for a comfort-food taste.
- It's great with your favorite crusty dinner roll or garlic bread.
- Add a light, simple salad for extra freshness.
- For a hearty meal, pair with this prosciutto sandwich or ricotta toast.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make chicken orzo soup ahead of time. To do this, prep the base and add the chicken, but do not add the orzo. Let it cool and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve it, bring it to a simmer and add the orzo, following the remaining directions. Prepping it this way makes it so that the orzo doesn't absorb the broth and thicken it too much.
To bring out the most lemony flavor in orzo soup, make sure to use ripe, very juicy lemons. This will ensure a delicious and non-bitter flavor as well. Adding the lemon juice to the soup at the end of cooking it also helps retain the lemon flavor, and if you want to bring out more, use more lemon zest, tasting as you add.
To keep orzo from absorbing the broth, you want to cook it while the soup is simmering, not boiling. At a simmer and with gentle stirring, it cooks perfectly, but at a boil, it cooks too quickly and absorbs liquid. The other option would be to cook the orzo separately and then add it to the soup towards the end of cooking.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup yellow onion minced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium chicken bouillon optional for a more savory flavor
- 1 cup orzo
- 2 ½ cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken baked or rotisserie
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest plus more to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley or 2 tablespoons minced fresh
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat with the olive oil and butter until the butter has melted. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and saute for 6-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic and thyme. Sauté for 1 more minute, or until golden and fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken broth and chicken bouillon (if using). Bring to a simmer and cook with the lid ajar for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the orzo. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Stir in the chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the orzo is tender.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice and zest to taste and serve hot!
Recipe Tips
- Lemony flavor: Using fresh lemon juice and adding it towards the end of cooking is what brings out the brightest flavor.
- Simmering: You want to bring the chicken lemon orzo soup back up to a simmer and keep it there, but not a boil. Boiling the soup will result in it becoming too thick and the orzo sticking too much. Simmering is key.
- Chicken: If using cooked chicken breasts, you'll want to chop them into very small cubes. The smaller the chicken, the more you enjoy it with every bite.
