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.
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This recipe is a favorite in our household. So light and so yummy! We usually double (or even sometimes triple) the recipe just so we can have leftovers for lunch. 🙂
Oh, I just saw the comments about soggy noodles. I don’t know why, but as much as I normally abhor leftover noodles soup with noodle mush, this soup just doesn’t seem to do that. Probably because the orzo is so small, that even though it gets very tender, it’s not like a giant mushy egg noodle. I love a huge pot of this for leftover lunch all week.
My whole family LOVES this soup! It’s such a staple in our house from the 3 year-old to the hubby. I used the Better than Boullion veggie stock concentrate & 3 lonely drumsticks from the freezer tonight since that’s what we had around and it was fabulous.
It’s always fabulous. Our littlest likes to cool it off with some frozen corn at the table.
This sounds YUMMO! Could I use boneless chicken breasts?
Yes, absolutely.
Thank You this soup is damn delishous & fit to serve the queen! Just made it. I added 2 packets chicken noodle soup, 2 chicken stock cubes & 2 packets dried ramen noodles (prawn flavour with spice sachets included. I pre-grilled my chicken fillets with butter, cayenne pepper, salt and lime juice and then chopped it all up and added it. If using whole chicken will do same but not add the butter as there will then be enough chicken fat. Damn Delish is all I can say !!
How big is a serving size. It is really great soup thanks
It should range anywhere from 1-2 cups per serving.
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!