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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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 😉
Made this for lunch today for myself and my sick family. It was really good! I suggest using more water and less fresh lemon juice. 1 cup of water to 5 cups of chicken stock simply is not enough and juice from an entire lemon is too citrus-y. But! The citrus definitely is a nice addition to the taste. Looking forward to making this soup again! Thanks for sharing!
I just made this tonight but instead of the 1 cup of water I swapped it for white cooking wine and it was delicious! One of the best homemade chicken soup recipes I’ve tried!
this is such a fantastic and easy soup to make! i use rotisserie chicken and an italian herb medley, i rarely have fresh herbs in the house.
thank you, it’s a family favorite.
I have made this soup twice and I love it. Second time, I used rotisserie chicken because I didn’t feel like cooking the chicken and it still came out great! I do add extra lemon but I follow the recipe as stated.
Loving this soup. It’s become a regular on my rotation this fall and into the winter. I’ve been adding in a bit of heavy whipping cream at the end to make it creamy and rich. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I have a cold/sore throat/headache developing and loved that I could make this easily without sacrificing flavour! I also added some fresh ginger root to help with my sore throat and it was delish. I used dried parsley and celery since I didn’t have fresh on hand – still seemed great!!
thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! It turned out amazing!!!
The soup looks great, but most times Orzo is not Gluten Free. Did you find some that was?
Just made this for dinner and it’s absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
I made this last night for dinner. It tasted so amazing, I never want to eat canned soup again. (I have a horrible cold, and this is the only thing I ate this week that didn’t taste like the bottom of a pond).
I have made nearly half of your recipes… You are my go to guru every time I need a meal, snack, soup…I have N.E.V.E R. been disappointed. I’m sure you won’t let me down tomorrow when I make this…infact I know it!!!
This sounds delicious. My husband loves chicken noodle soup–mostly campbell’s!–and this would be such a great way to make it healthier and class it up! Maybe I can teach him a thing or two!
One question: does the dried thyme rehydrate? I often don’t use it just because I don’t like the way it’s “hard” when I bite on it and it gets stuck in my teeth. Does it soften in the soup?
I haven’t found the thyme to “harden” in the soup but if you’d like, you can substitute other herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano, etc.
Does this soup freeze well?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’ve been making chicken soup for 30 years and this is the freshest, most delicious recipe I’ve ever made! Picky husband loved it. I’ll be making your copycat pasta fagoli this weekend as it’s one of my favorite soups. Thanks!