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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Every weekend during the fall and winter I make a different soup recipe for Sunday dinner and pair it with homemade bread and salad. I made this to rave reviews from my family and then made it again for the Souper Bowl at my office the following week. It won first place and has become my personal favorite! Love the website and your delicious recipes! Home style chicken noodle is on the menu for today. Keep the wonderful recipes coming! Thanks!
So so delicious! I made this for my mom on her last day of chemo and she couldn’t get enough. I did make 1 mistake and added too much orzo. The 3/4 cup didn’t seem like enough but I ended up scooping out orzo before I served it and I had to add extra stock. PSA—Do not add extra orzo! I am making this again this week and I will follow the recipe exactly.
I just made this and it was so good. I do not like dark meat (thighs) so I used chicken breasts and it was still tender and flavorful. I would add the juice of a half of a lemon though not a whole one as it was a bit overpowering. This is a yummy, hearty perfect-for-winter soup!
Well, I have great news for you! Chicken thighs are white meat. You are thinking of chicken legs (drumstick part) which is dark meat.
The only difference between chicken breast meat and thigh meat is the thigh meat will be juicer (more tender) than breast meat.
This recipe sounds great. I am making it tomorrow in the crockpot and adding the cooked orzo after the soup is done!
Did you just brown the chicken in a pan and throw everything but the orzo in a crockpot? I want to try cooking it in my crockpot but not sure if I’ll mess it up.
I tweaked this with leftover turkey that I baked in January… I know that is a little weird but this recipe was delicious! I think it is the lemon that TRULY makes it. We like spice/heat, so I may drop some slices of fresh jalapeno in next time. And it is super easy to follow!
I may have to try with quinoa or bulgar, as I have some on hand.
What a treat! My husband, who hates it when I break tradition, Loves it! The herbs and lemon really make this soup wonderful
I really liked this recipe! Not a huge fan of celery stalks so I just used salt & it was overall pretty good. Easy to double the recipe too
How long can this be kept in fridge or can it be frozen ?
Making today. This soup never disappoints. My granddaughter is a very picky eater and she absolutely loves this soup. Most recipes I will change a little to suit me but I wouldn’t change a thing on this one except for to double it.
Delicious!! My family loved it. Great hearty soup
I wish they would say how much a serving size is for accurate calorie count. The soup turned out great. I like how it wasn’t so salty and you could add as you wish. It takes 10-12 minutes to cook the chicken not 2-3. My husband loves it! I would probably use a little less orzo and less than a whole lemon for juice. I kind of didn’t like how lemony it was.
Excellent recipe — easy and absolutely delicious! We make this soup every other week in the fall and winter.
This is a perfect recipe. Make absolutely no changes to it. The chicken thighs are so, so flavorful – don’t be tempted to use breasts. The aroma will remind you of a traditional chicken noodle soup as it simmers. Then you add the lemon and–oh baby!–this soup is anything but traditional. The lemon adds the perfect amount of acid to cut through the richness of the chicken thighs and bring out all of the amazing flavors. This is my new go-to chicken soup!
I added turmeric in it for its many health benefits and anti inflammatory properties specially for those days when you’re under the weather . Great comfort soup !
This soup is delicious. We often add fresh chopped kale instead of spinach. Also quinoa instead of orzo. Or even day old rice. I usually add the pasta or rice on a per bowl basis so the rice/orzo doesn’t get gooey. The quinoa is perfect for sitting in the soup and for left overs. Enjoy!
excited to try!
May i know the amount of chicken stock required in ml please?
Thanks 🙂
1 US cup = 236.588 mL. 🙂
I just made this tonight. My 4 year old actually said, ”mom this soup was super good, thanks for making it.” Mind blown! Thank you!!
I made it! It was delicious!
I made mine without chicken or chicken broth so that it could be vegetarian friendly.
I also added two tablespoons of fresh minced ginger. 1 cup of corn and one tablespoon of rocoto paste (I’m Peruvian).
I also added more orzo 1 cup and 2 oz since I didn’t have the chicken.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve been sick and had to call of work for 2 days but I’m instantly feeling better with this delicious soup!
Thank you!
Amazing flavor, everyone loves it so much I am constantly asked to make it.
We usually add fresh baby spinach just before serving with big croutons!!
Just in the process of making this soup. It sounds wonderful but I would like to comment on the prep time. I think someone made a mistake. It definitely takes more than 10 minutes to get all those ingredients chopped and measured out. The time should be corrected.
If a recipe calls for diced veggies, cooked rice, etc. the time spent getting it to that point is not included in the prep time
Amazing wouldn’t change a thing. It was just the pick-me-up my family needed on a rainy day :]
This soup is so delicious! Our whole family loves it.
Do you have suggestions for how best to make it in the morning and serve that night for dinner?
Thanks!
I’m so glad the whole family loves it so much! You can make it ahead of time but I would cook the orzo separately and add it to the soup upon serving. Hope that helps, Marion!