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!
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.
But let me tell you that this is not your ordinary chicken noodle soup. The traditional noodles are swapped out and orzo pasta is used instead. And my favorite part about this soup is the freshly squeezed lemon juice stirred in at the very end, served with alllll the crusty bread. It makes all of the difference, really.
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.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
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
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.
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what can I do to prevent the noodles from absorbing the liquids?
This is best served immediately because there is really no way around this. You can also keep the orzo separate and simply add before serving.
This looks awesome for today. My better half is not feeling well (too much fun last night). This would be perfect for him. It is supposed to be “spring” however, we just got 4 inches of snow yesterday. Yuk!
Thanks so much for sharing.
I’ve never commented on a blog before, but I really just needed to say that yours is AMAZING!! Every single recipe on here that I’ve tried, from the kale & meyer lemon salad to this soup, has turned out delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes!!
– A (former) incompetent cook 🙂
Delish! Added some baby spinach for some more greens, and it was awesome. That squeeze of lemon at the end gives it the perfect lightness and brightness 🙂 Thanks for always posting amazing recipes!
Sounds and looks amazing. Glad I stumbled upon your blog.
Delicious!! I am on my second bowl. Btw it is still breakfast time
Made this last week, hubs and I both totally enjoyed it on a chilly afternoon. Leftovers from the fridge reheated just fine for several days (it’s just the 2 of us and this makes a large pot, at least 6-8 bowls, but that’s no problem, you’ll be happy to take your time to eat up the leftovers). Found I had to add more chicken broth to get soup (rather than stew) consistency that I wanted, but otherwise made as written. We added a squeeze of fresh lemon to each bowl at the table, just cause we’re lemon fans. Only thing I’d do differently next time is cut back a little on the orzo so the pot isn’t quite to stew-like. Chunga, I have loved everything I’ve made of yours, especially this soup and your Swedish Meatballs. You’re my new favorite chef!
Oh my god. This was to die for. I am very very wary to try soup recipes, as I usually don’t like anything other than my grandmas. But boy oh boy, this was so incredibly delicious. I will be making this again and again and again. I wouldn’t change a thing. So so so good.
sounds delicious! can I use dried rosemary and parsley instead of fresh?
Yes, absolutely. The ratio for dry to fresh herbs is typically 1:3.
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious!
I was just able to throw this together this morning, in the middle of getting the kids to school, with some leftover baked chicken breast and frozen homemade chicken stock I had in the freezer. It is soooo good, and I can’t wait to have a huge bowl at work today, and send some to school with the kids!
I made this tonight after work. I am so happy! (Happy sigh…)
No one asked if this recipe could be doubled and do you double everything in it including the lemon and the water?Thanks-need this for a family get together….
Yes, it is best to double all ingredients.
I made this tonight and it was deeeelicious! I added lemon zest and fresh, chopped spinach. It was a hit! I’ll definitely be making it again and again. Thank you for the great recipe!
Man this was really damn delicious. I have to admit I was nervous about adding the juice from a whole lemon but I trusted your recipe and added it anyways. What a game changer. It’s bright but still savory. I love it! Thank you for sharing!
Just made this today added 1 cup orzo & extra 1/2 c broth & added 1/4 c half & half
Does anyone know why the cholesterol is so high in the nutritional info for this soup? That can’t be correct? I have high cholesterol but want to try it. My instinct is telling me this is a typo?
Hi Deb.
I’m the Dietitian who put together the Nutrition Information for this recipe. The estimated amount of cholesterol is correct. Nearly all of the dietary cholesterol in this recipe is from the chicken.
For someone with high blood cholesterol, the recommendation is to limit cholesterol intake to 200 mg/day. At 68.5 mg/serving, if you plan your other food for the day accordingly, this dish could fit into your diet.
Also, please remember that dietary cholesterol has less of an effect on blood cholesterol than was once thought. The biggest dietary impact on blood cholesterol is actually synthetic trans fat!
Making this tonight! Hope it makes my daughter and hubby feel better soon.. its snowy here tonight in Chicago and this soup is warming up the house with all the yummy smell goods. Thanks for sharing the recipe and those that shared their comments
I just made this today — it’s freezing in the East Bay — and it was perfect! So flavorful yet simple. I definitely added too much rosemary (I put in one “sprig” as directed, but it was large), but it’s still deeeelish.
Thanks for warming us up on a chilly day. 🙂
My daughter and I just made this soup for some sick friends. It’s delicious!! I will be making it regularly. Thanx for another great recipe 😉