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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Hi,
Could you substitute ground turkey for the chicken? Would that go well with the lemon flavor?
That sounds like a great substitution. I bet the flavors would really go well together.
I tried your soup today and was pleasantly surprised, I was concerned for the lemon flavour, it’s was great, brought some to a friends house and she thought it was amazing. Will make again. Thank you, Marie
Would you swap out the chicken thighs for breast?
Yes, you can certainly substitute chicken breasts for the thighs.
Made it today, delicious and healthy soup!
I’ve made tons of recipes from your site. They NEVER cease to impress! This one is no exception. Thank you so much for filling my and my family’s bellies with your damn delicious recipes. 🙂
I so need this soup in my life right now! I’ve been so sick this week and hot soup and hot tea seem to be the only things that are working for me. This is going on the menu tonight for sure. Thanks for posting, Chung-Ah!
Oh no, feel better. And this is definitely one of those comfort foods that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
My poor daughter has been sick as a dog for a week! Been to the doctor twice to check for strep. He said she may have mono and there is no medicine to help. Just needs to run its course.
This delicious soup was just what she needed! She loved the lemony flavor. Soooo delicious!
I mean…So Damn Delicious!
Soup is great any time of year! And lemon with chicken is one of my favorite soup combos – so comforting!
I made this recipe over the weekend.. it was so very yummy and will be a regular… especially as we are going into Winter here…
Thanks for an inspirational blog….
Hugz
Gorgeous! I tend to love lighter soups, like this one, especially when it’s warm out. I think it’s because when you’re sitting in an office in air conditioning a nice bowl of soup will warm you up!
Thanks for sharing!
Delicious recipe,definitely I will try it saturday !
Thank yo for this recipe … I am buried in a case of bacterial pneumonia and this is just hitting the spot!!!
(I make it in my rice cooker … I make all my soups in there as they cannot boil over!!! I actually made your Mexican Corn/Bean/Quinoa dish as a soup last week)
So GLAD TO HAVE FOUND YOUR DAMNDELICIOUS SITE!!
I love chicken soup, especially with lemon. I love any clear broth soup with lemon juice added…always adds something to the flavor…thanks for sharing!
Gotta love good old fashioned comfort food!!
This soup is delicious.
Phenomenal. I let the soup minus the orzo simmer all afternoon. Added the orzo in, baked a premade loaf of French bread in the oven and voila! Awesome, fresh, homemade dinner. Thank you.
this looks great! would rice be an OK substitute for the orzo?
That should work just fine, although you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
Do you know how much longer I would have to cook it to use rice? Is there another kind of pasta that would work?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Gorgeous photos! Gotta try this soup!
I’d just worked out that orzo is what we call risoni. And you confirmed it for me. Unlike you, we in the Southern Hemisphere, are fast heading into Winter (Autumn is already here with its variable weather), so chicken soup is a welcome recipe. Love the idea of lemon. Summer has been such a weird season with bushfires, rain and unusually cool days, that my lemon tree is only now coming to ripeness. I’m usually making lemon cordial before Christmas! So I should have enough ripe lemons for this luscious-sounding soup. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi MaryAnne yes it looks like risoni in the photo. Orzo is a cereal which translate in English as Barley we use it a lot here in Italy, it’s very different to risoni and is certainly delicious in soups. I can’t wait to try this recipe looks yummy!
Orzo is not barley. Barley is a cereal grain and the orzo used in the recipe is a pasta, made with semolina flour, salt and probably eggs, just like any other pasta, only shaped like rice. Barley is a different thing altogether, though it would probably be good, too.
Love, love, this one! Its a major hit in my household. If you are looking for new soup recipe to wow your family with, this is it.