Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Fresh, delicious, and filled with veggies, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is an easy weeknight soup that is comforting and will quickly become a family favorite.

If you love orzo, you also need to try this Orzo Recipe with Italian Sausage and Peppers.

There is something about a bowl of chicken soup that is so comforting and perfect on a chilly night. Or when you are feeling under the weather.

This may not be mom’s chicken noodle soup, but it’s the next best thing – and super easy and fast to make! It’s packed with vegetables, and the lemon juice gives it such a nice, bright flavor.

Ingredients

Oil: You’ll need a bit of oil to saute the vegetables. I like to use extra virgin olive oil, but feel free to swap in an oil of your choice.

Carrots, Celery, Onion, and Garlic: This is the magic combination of vegetables, but of course, feel free to make it your own! I also like to occasionally add in some frozen peas.

Seasonings: I use a mixture of dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. If you have fresh herbs on hand those will work well.

Flour: The flour helps to thicken up the soup just a bit. You can always leave this out if you don’t want to thicken the soup at all.

Chicken Broth: I like to use a low sodium chicken broth so that I have more control over the amount of salt in the recipe.

Orzo: If you’ve never used orzo before, it’s a small, rice shaped pasta. In fact, one of my boys thought it was rice before I added it to the soup! You can always sub in another pasta, but the amount of broth needed might change and the cook time may change.

Chicken: My secret for making this a quick weeknight dinner is using pre-cooked chicken. I have a whole post about how to prep this ahead of time so that you can keep it in the freezer for recipes like this one.

Lemon Juice: This is the star ingredient, so make sure you are using freshly squeezed lemon juice. You do not want to use bottled lemon juice for this recipe.

How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Start by cooking your carrots, celery, and onion in the olive oil until the veggies are soft in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.

Stir in the garlic and herbs then season with salt and pepper. Cook this all together for a minute or so.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed.

Pour in the chicken broth, followed by the orzo and the chicken.

Cook the soup until the pasta is tender.

Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and add more lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed.

Tips and Tricks

This makes a fairly thick soup. You can add up to 2 additional cups of chicken broth if you want it more “soupy”.

The orzo will also continue to absorb the broth, so if you aren’t serving this right away, I would suggest cooking the orzo separately and adding some to each portion.

You can add lemon juice to taste. If you are just wanting to brighten up the flavors, you probably won’t want more than the 1/3 cup of lemon juice, but if you want a good lemon flavor, I suggest adding 1/2 cup.

If you want even more flavor, you can add the zest of a lemon.

How to Store Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

If you do have leftovers, you may need to add some extra chicken broth when you reheat the soup.

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t suggest freezing this soup unless you are freezing it without the orzo.

More Favorite Soup Recipes

Zuppa Toscana
Minestrone
Taco Soup Recipe
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
New England Chicken Corn Chowder
Lasagna Soup

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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Print Pin SaveSaved!

Fresh, delicious, and filled with veggies, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is an easy weeknight soup that is comforting and will quickly become a family favorite.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 3-4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
• ▢ 3 ribs celery chopped
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 6 cups low sodium chicken broth*
• ▢ 8 oz dry orzo pasta
• ▢ 8 oz cooked, shredded or cubed chicken
• ▢ 1/3 – 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ Chopped parsley and grated parmesan optional

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
• Sprinkle in the flour. Stir and cook for another minute or two. Pour in the chicken broth.
• Bring the soup to a gentle boil and stir in the orzo. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
• Cook until the orzo is tender and the chicken is warmed through, about 9-11 minutes. Stir several times while it is cooking so that the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Once the pasta is cooked through, stir in the lemon juice. (Start with 1/3 cup then taste. If you want more lemon flavor, you can add more.)
• Serve topped with chopped parsley or grated Parmesan, if desired.

Recipe Notes:

*This makes a fairly thick soup. You can add up to 2 additional cups of chicken broth if you want it more “soupy”.

The orzo will also continue to absorb the broth, so if you aren’t serving this right away, I would suggest cooking the orzo separately and adding some to each portion. If you are doing this, 6 cups of broth will be more than enough.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutrition information does not include toppings.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of recipe, Calories: 259kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 41g (14%), Protein: 16g (32%), Fat: 4g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 245mg (11%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 7g (8%)

Keywords: chicken soup, lemon chicken orzo soup, orzo soup