Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
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This cozy lemon chicken orzo soup is packed with feel-good veggies and tender chicken in a soothing lemony broth. Made in 30 min or less!
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Why you’ll love lemon chicken orzo soup
- Comforting and light. Say hello to the best kind of vibrant, light, lemony broth, warming you from the inside out. It’s a fun, cozy cross between traditional chicken noodle soup and chicken and rice soup.
- One pot convenience. Believe it or not, this is incredibly easy to whip up and comes together very quickly in one single pot, even the dried orzo, making cleanup an absolute breeze.
- Freezes beautifully. This soup freezes and reheats like a dream, perfect for those busy weeknights and lazy weekends, especially when you’re feeling under the weather.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (or you can substitute shredded rotisserie chicken, adding towards the end of cooking time until warmed through)
- Aromatics: garlic, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaves
- Liquid: low-sodium chicken stock or chicken broth and water
- Pasta: uncooked orzo pasta
- Citrus: freshly squeezed lemon juice
how to make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then cook the chicken in a Dutch oven coated with olive oil over medium heat until golden brown; set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add additional oil, then stir in the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery until tender. Stir in the thyme until fragrant.
- Add the liquids. Stir in the chicken stock, water, and bay leaves.
- Simmer. Stir in the orzo, rosemary, and seared chicken, simmering until the orzo is tender and cooked through.
- Finish. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread.
what to serve with lemon chicken orzo soup
Tools For This Recipe
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.
Orzo is a short-cut type pasta, similar in shape to a long grain of rice. Orzo also cooks much faster than traditional rice, making this soup a simple one-pot dinner ready in about 30 minutes.
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.
Store leftovers 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
Video
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
- 1 cup water
- 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 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, water and bay leaves; bring to a boil.
- Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Since many brands love to pack in the salt, 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. Use gluten-free orzo or swap out the orzo for rice.
- Repurpose leftovers. Save time and add shredded rotisserie chicken towards the end of cooking time.
- Add leafy greens. This is a great soup recipe to sneak in more veggies such as spinach or kale, stirring in just before serving until wilted.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with homemade crusty bread or garlic parmesan knots for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Store the orzo separately. Cook and store the orzo separately if making this ahead of time as the orzo will continue to soak up the broth.
Did you make this recipe?
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This soup was absolutely amazing! I made it for family members who were under the weather…total hit! It doubled nicely. Thank you!
Winner winner chicken dinner!! Made this using my own backyard pastured poultry, my homegrown veggies & herbs, and homemade chicken bone broth. Warms the soul! Thanks for this one — as always, it was Damn Delicious!!
This was absolutely delicious! I added a little extra orzo and a teaspoon of Better than Boullion, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. I would also say that it’s worth the extra effort to use chicken thighs instead of breasts. The meat was sooooo tender and it really adds to the experience of this being comfort food.
I made this since my oldest loves lemon chicken orzo soup. I had never made orzo soup before and boy have I been missing out! Wonderfully easy recipe and the depth of flavor was beyond my expectations. Thanks you for this recipe!
I made mine #plantstrong by swapping out the chicken broth and chicken. Instead I used vegetable broth with chucked zucchini and mushrooms. Served with additional lemon wedges and hot pepper flakes. An absolute keeper !!! …I’m thinking of adding greens next time, such as kale or spinach for even more nourishment.
Fabulous! Will definitely make again. I think I’d add a bit more Orzo – maybe a cup to 1 1/4 cups. I didn’t have thighs (used 2 chicken breasts), and didn’t have fresh parsley. But NO complaints. Didn’t make too much (only 2 of us eating), and the flavor was excellent. I used 6 cups of chicken broth instead of 5 cups and 1 cup water. Other than that, I followed the recipe. I was a little concerned that the juice of a lemon might too lemony – it wasn’t. Really tasty!!
This may be the only time that I have not augmented a recipe. Usually if it calls for 3 cloves of garlic I will use 6 etc.
This is now one of my three favorite chicken soups, when I make it I double the recipe so as to have some in reserve in the freezer.
I do feel that I must be hindered in some way as there is no chance of me doing the prep work in 20 minutes for a double batch. I do practice Mise en Placeso that may add some time.
Thanks for a great soup!
Easy, fast, good taste
LOVE LOVE LOVE this soup! I modify it be lemon zest and better than bullion chicken base. Both intensify the flavors.
1st time making it, was so delicious, I seasoned the chicken like I always do. My family enjoyed it and went for seconds. Keeper for sure. Thank you
This recipe is very close to my recipe I found. I prefer my recipe for the depth of flavors it brings out. I didn’t serve mine after cooking for “only” an hour. I let mine simmer at least 2 hours. I also placed all of my spices in my spice strainer, including the bay leaf, and I used whole black peppercorns in it. My recipe also called for butter WITH the olive oil to begin sauté of the carrots, onions, garlic (I used jarred), and celery. I have to say that I made a very good chicken noodle soup but after eating THIS recipe and MY Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, I have completely retired my chicken noodle soup recipe for my Greek chicken orzo soup!!
I love this recipe and have been making it for a few years now. While it is perfect the way it is I have often added additional vegetables or made minor substitutions as necessary if I am missing ingredients.
It is always a favorite comfort food.
Been making this for a few years now. I do not alter the recipe at all. Most I do is double or triple. It’s probably the most requested recipe to share & it is always shared through the link with nothing but praise for the best “Damn Delicious” recipe. If I don’t have the ingredients I don’t make it till I do.
If I could give this 10 stars I would. It’s absolutely delicious. I used chicken breast and made sure not to overcook it. I didn’t have chicken stock so I substituted 6 cups hot water and added 1 Tablespoon Better Then Bouillon. Also added a few chopped leaves of basil and about 1 heaping cup of chopped spinach. There are only three of us in my home this recipe was enough for dinner with NO leftovers!
Very good comfort food. I used shredded chicken instead.
This is my go-to “I feel a cold coming on” soup. I have been making it (subbing Gluten Free Pasta) for years and it never fails me. I usually double or triple both the lemon and garlic depending how far down the path I am in terms of congestion. I swear this soup has saved me from getting sick when I felt a cold coming on. It is refreshing, bright and comforting. Simple and fresh ingredients are best and I haven’t met a human who didn’t LOVE this soup. The best. x
I made this last night and it was fantastic. I used bacon grease instead of oil and I added some butter to the onions too. It was so good there wasn’t any left. Thanks for a great recipe
I love this soup. I make it probably once a week in the fall. It literally is pure comfort in a bowl
Super comforting
Made this for dinner tonight and followed the recipe exactly. You know it’s good when your whole family goes back for seconds. Thank you for a great recipe!
I have made this recipe many times over the years. I will often add left over rotisserie chicken at the end instead cooking the chicken.