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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I made this last night, and the two of us finished it. Well, I had one bowl, but he had at least two. Delicious, simple. Thank you for sharing.
I’m guessing the bay leaf and thyme are added when cooking the veggies?
Please refer to steps 2 and 3:
2. 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.
3. 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.
Saw this beautiful soup and had to make immediately. Just looked outside at my summer spice garden and it is flourishing. This is the perfect recipe to utilize the fresh herbs!
Soo YUMMY! Being sick I was looking for a new chicken soup to make instead of my old tired recipe and this was a great choice! Thanks!
FIVE STARS! I love chicken soup and this is one of the best had. Thanks!
Thanks for this recipe! This came out so amazingly well. It was my first time cooking a soup and my girlfriend absolutely loved it.
It tasted even better on the second day as the orzo soaked up all of the flavor.
This recipe sounds delicious! I would like to try making it in a pressure cooker. Do you know if I need to reduce the amount of liquid in that case? Thanks in advance!
Unfortunately, I cannot answer with certainty as I have never used a pressure cooker before. As always, please use your best judgment.
I am not typically a commenter, but I had to leave a note this time. This recipe is out of this world- soup-erb.
I always get nervous when it comes to adding lemon to a recipe because it can really over power the flavors, but this was the perfect amount. The lemon, herbs and the orzo really made this soup a winner. I’ve shared your link at least six times with different groups of friends and even some strangers. Five stars all around! Thanks for sharing with all of us!
I woke up sick this morning with a craving for chicken soup. I am, of course, home alone with no one to cook for me, so to Pinterest I went! I saved this recipe a while ago and rediscovered it as I was searching for a recipe this morning. Let me just say that it is delicious and oh so easy to make, especially since I’m sick. I didn’t have carrots, but it was still very tasty. I also added extra herbs as I had some left over. I will defiantly add this recipe to my regular rotation and it will be my go-to for sick days!
This is what chicken soup should be. 🙂 My belly is smiling too!
I just made this soup today and it is awesome! Thank you for sharing!
Made this tonight. Added juice from one more lemon just to kick it up a notch. It was fabulous. Thank you for posting for all to try!
I am hoping to make this in the morning to serve for dinner. Do I need to worry about adding the lemon too early? I have read that doing so can inadvertently add a bitter flavor to a dish. Should I add right before serving, as I will do with the orzo? Thank you!
Btw, I love all of your recipes!!
Yes, you can add prior to serving.
I made this tonight and it was wonderful. Only difference was that I doubled the recipe because I have a teenager eating me out of house and home. We also love leftovers. Loved the hint of lemon in it and I know it will be perfect to serve throughout the year. Thank you!
Very good soup, eating a bowl now, I used 2 lbs of chicken thighs, glad I bought extra cause by the time u trimmed fat off, I don’t think 1 lb would have been enough….
This took longer to fix for me than stated too…. Did you trim fat off your chicken thighs or just dice them up?
Thanks for the recipe.
I just diced them up as the chicken I purchased did not have much fat to begin with.
Have you made this with breasts?
I actually have not but several of my readers have used chicken breasts with great results!
This is amazing and so comforting on this blustery winter day. Thank you for sharing.
Turned out great. I used rotisserie chicken and topped it off with thinly sliced jalapeño peppers. The peppers worked really well with the lemon. I will definitely make again!
Was so excited to make this and I wasn’t disappointed. The soup is delicious. This is a must to make over and over!
We bought some orzo from the sale rack. My wife asks what are we going to do with that. Dunno, Google it. Found your soup and had it for dinner tonight. Wonderful! Guess I’ll be paying full price soon.
After no having felt well, this was the perfect meal. So comforting and delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!