Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
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Chockfull of hearty veggies and tender chicken in a refreshing lemony broth. It is PURE COMFORT in a bowl!
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No matter what the weather is outside, I can always use a bowl of chicken noodle soup. It doesn’t even matter if I’m sick with the flu or if I have the cleanest bill of health – this soup can be eaten any day of the week, any time of day for an all around feel-good warm hug in a bowl.
reasons to make lemon chicken orzo soup
- Best kind of vibrant, lemon-y broth
- Fun, different twist from traditional chicken noodle soup, maybe even better
- Easy to make and comes together very quickly in one single pot (even the dried orzo)
- Freezes beautifully, perfect for those busy weeknights and lazy weekends
what is orzo
Orzo is a short-cut type pasta, similar in shape to a long grain of rice. Orzo can be added to soup, helping to thicken the soup naturally by releasing starch as it cooks in the broth, yielding a richer, more velvety consistency.
tips and tricks for success
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice will elevate your chicken soup, adding a fresh, bright flavor and balancing out all the saltiness and richness of the soup.
- Make it vegetarian. Skip the chicken, use vegetable stock and add 1 can cannellini beans.
- Make it gluten-free. Lemon chicken orzo soup can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free orzo or swapping out the orzo for rice.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
pro tip
Make ahead of time and store the orzo separately.
Because the orzo will continue to soak up the broth, cook and store the orzo separately if making this ahead of time.
what to serve with lemon chicken orzo soup
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
You can use either chicken broth or chicken stock but always season, to taste, as store-bought broth is often saltier than store-bought stock. Broth is made from meat and vegetables while stock is often lower sodium and thicker than broth, and is made from bones and vegetables.
The orzo is cooked directly in the soup, absorbing all the flavorful broth. But if you are planning for leftovers or freezing, the orzo should be cooked and stored separately.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, adding a splash of water or stock as needed.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the orzo pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked orzo pasta when serving.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup orzo pasta
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil.
- Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Video
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Love, love this soup! We make it at least three times a month. We add a lot more lemon than it calls for, though. I squeeze a whole lemon in while simmering and then the zest of it. We add lemon juice when serving.
I have made this soup at least 300 times since you posted it. So so so delicious!!! I add one more squeeze of lemon in each individual bowl. I don’t make it as much as I used to because as a single lady, I zoom through one pot in a weekend!
Will rice work instead of orzo? I do not have orzo.
One time, I made it with some leftover cooked rice. I just added it at the end with about 5-7 minutes left to cook. Came out like a rice and chicken soup.
This soup is fantastic. I did use chicken thighs and cooked them in a stovetop smoker to give the soup another depth of flavor. I did use 6 cups of chicken broth as other reviewers commented. I may go to 8 cups next time. I used spinach instead of kale since that is what I had.
My family loved this soup! I added some additional seasoning like garlic powder and onion powder and it was great. Definitely recommend
This is simply a perfect soup! And yes I sometimes add spinach. It’s great with or without 🙂
This soup was a big hit with my family. The lemon juice adds such a nice flavor. I added in a bunch of spinach at the end as well.
can I use a crock pot instead?
Currently making this for about the 1,000th time. It is my go-to Meal Train delivery for new families, new babies, illness, or post-surgeries. Everyone always loves it and it tastes made from the heart. ❤️
This is one of our favorite soups! Heavy rain today just begged for this for supper! I always have everything to fix this on hand because it is always a hit! Thank you so much!
This is my favorite go to soup. Have made it often and even my grandkids love it. Sometimes I’ll add spinach to it if I have it in the fridge.
Yummy! I left out the bay leaves, as I don’t care for them. It was delicious!
I made this for my adult daughter who was under the weather and needed some ‘momming’. It was delicious! She had a cold so I upped the garlic and lemon just a bit, used homemade stock, and added ginger as recommended by another reviewer. Fantastic! Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely be making it again!
This is delicious! Have made several times just as is and love it!!! My favorite chicken soup!!!
I added some chopped and massaged kale for some extra vitamins (and because we love kale) and I also added ginger because we are so sick with the flu right now.
I chose this recipe because I’ve used other damn delicious recipes and this one is no lie. It is damn delicious also. Thank you for making me look brilliant again.
Excellent on a rainy night in So Cal! The addition of lemon is genius!
Prep is not 10 minutes. More like an hour. Still this is incredibly tasty.
My go to recipe.. the family LOVES it!!
Have made this a few times and shared it with friends. Everyone loves it! Thank you for all your great recipes.
Can you freeze left over lemon Chicken Orzo Soup?
They freeze well. I freeze it in sandwich ziplock bags since I alway double the recipe. We pull out as many as we need. They fit nicely in a sauce pot.