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.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was delicious! I made this in the Instapot, as I was late to the dinner planning game. I also made a couple of changes which turned out fabulous in my opinion – I used 3/4c Orzo and I used part Tuscan Kale and part Spinach.
1. I heated a bit of oil in the Instapot on the saute . Once it was piping hot, I put the diced onion in to saute.
2. I diced up the chicken thighs and salted them vigorously and peppered them. Then added to the IP to saute until they were whiteish/golden in color. (5ish minutes)
3. I stripped my Rosemary and Thyme – added to the IP, along with the carrots and celery, and chicken stock (I used Veggie – because its all I had).
4. Put the lid on the IP, hit the soup function on the IP (High pressure). For 15 min.
*5. If I had more time I probably would not have done it this way, but – as the soup was cooking in the IP I heated a smaller (#2) lecruset filled half with water to a boil. I added the Orzo and reduced heat to a simmer. I let cook for 15 min (in retrospect it could have been less time if you want a more al dente vibe.) I then drained and ran cool water over it and just set aside.
6. After 15 min, I manually released the pressure and removed the lid.
7. I hit the saute function again, added the spinach and kale, and put the lid on. I let them simmer and wilt for about 5 min. Then turned the heat off and placed soup in bowls. Then topped with the Orzo.
*Alternatively, I would have omitted this and added the orzo to the pot on step 7. I have done this for other dishes, and it works well. I just was short on time. It would take 15 min or so once the broth started bubbling again. I would wait to add the spinach and kale to the last 5 min, (don’t put in right after you open the lid if you are adding the Orzo. Wait for the last 5 min of the Orzo cook time.)
Also, LEMON was a lovely touch!
Making this today but wondering if regular chicken breast would work as well as the thighs or maybe even rotisserie chicken?
I have lost track of the number of times I have made this soup and each time it is DELICIOUS! I change nothing but do not add the celery as hubby just doesn’t like it. Beyond that, the recipe is exact and the soup consumed quickly. Great to have those leftovers in the frig, though they get eaten very quickly. It keeps at least a week if there’s no one around to eat it!!! You simply MUST make this soup.
This soup is amazing! It’s quick, easy and delicious. I have made it for family and friends many times. It never disappoints. I have used leftover Costco rotisserie chicken and bottled lemon juice when time or supplies were not readily available. But, fresh lemon juice makes a big difference—the soup has a “brighter” flavor. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Delicious recipe! I used dried spices instead of fresh and it was still amazing!
This is a little different than my normal lemon chicken orzo soup but every bit as delicious! With everyone working and schooling from home the last few months I’ve found myself cooking at least two meals a day for 3 adults and a teenage son. Your recipes have been a life saver! It’s a blustery 24 in Buffalo today and this soup is going to warm our bellies all afternoon. Thank you!
I have made this soup and my entire family loved it! I didn’t deviate from the recipe at all and came out delicious. On other occasions I’ve boiled a whole chicken with aromatics and then chopped the meat and strained the broth and its even better than the store bought stock. Overall awesome recipe. Thank u so much for sharing
This is the best chicken soup ever. It is so easy, turns out great every time. I have used leftover turkey , rotisserie chicken. It doesn’t matter is is still awesome. My grandson’s favorite soup
This is one of the best soups I’ve made. Thank you!
OH MY! What a delightful, comforting, delicious soup. I made this for a friend that just got COVID. Left on the porch and ran like hell. 😉 I’m grateful I saved a bowl for myself!! The lemon juice is such a different, welcome component. The soup received high praise from my friend, and I concur.
Made exactly as written. <3 Definitely a keeper.
Just tried this for the first time, looking for something quick and refreshing, but still filling. This did not disappoint! Love how simple yet delicious this was! Ended up using all chicken stock and boiled frozen chicken breasts as part of step 3 instead of cooking them in step 1. Shredded chicken and replaced and added the orzo. With some salt and pepper to taste, this turned out amazing! Will definitely be making this again.
Just made this for the first time and my entire family loved it! I left out the rosemary, as I didn’t have any on hand. I wonder how much that affected the taste. We’ll come back to this recipe for sure!
Delicious! I followed the recipe, no changes except I did cook things a little longer than the recipe said to. I think I may try chicken breast next time just because I don’t care for thighs as much. Will definitely be sharing this and making it again! It’s going in the recipe box
Love this recipe! I’ve been making it for years! Lemon and rosemary make it different than most chicken soup recipes!
This is so good! The lemon gives us a fresh, light flavor that goes beyond any regular chicken soup. I had shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco on hand so I used that. I also had a partial bag of baby spinach so I threw that in, too. Nice! My husband and I will have this again, it’s a winner. I had fresh thyme and rosemary that went into the pot. I didn’t have fresh lemon, but 1/4 cup of Costco’s lemon juice worked just fine.
Was ok, a bit bland. Would add 2 lemons, another garlic clove and 3 egg yolks
Made this twice for my family and they love it!
I thought, as is, the soup was pretty bland. I added more salt & pepper. I also really wanted the lemon flavor to stand out so I added lemon zest & juice from 2 lemons. Also just used 6 cups of broth for more flavor. I also added some fresh baby spinach right before serving. A bit of fresh ginger at the end was good as well.
For the people saying it’s bland: The salt is a suggested amount. Obviously everyone has different flavor profiles, so adjust to YOUR liking. Soup is great. I loved it and I’ll be keeping it in my recipes book for later use. Thank you!
Using homemade chicken stock and all other seasoning listed it was very flavorful!
I have made this recipe (actually) dozens of times over the past several years and it never gets old. Sometimes we do it exactly as written, other times we’ve added mushrooms, added extra chicken and veggies and left-out the orzo, or replaced orzo with zucchini noodles. It is in our regular rotation and we love it!
I made this yesterday. I seasoned my chicken thighs and roasted them in the oven then cut them up for the soup but basically followed the rest of the recipe as written. Used fresh thyme and rosemary. I feel so cozy when I eat this.