This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is so brothy, flavorful, and downright delicious! Its also super simple to make and freezer-friendly. Need I say more? Didn’t think so!
This soup truly hits the spot just like its cousin, chicken noodle soup, or the “heftier” chicken gnocchi soup.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this simple and scrumptious Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. It has everything from the pasta to the meat to the vegetables. It’s also an easy freezer meal for those busy nights when you haven’t got much time for cooking.
- TASTE: Lemony and savory, this soup has all the flavor. The rich chicken and broth are balanced by the citrusy lemon and fresh veggies.
- TEXTURE: Tender vegetables and juicy chicken make up this soup. It’s a broth soup that’s light enough for lunch but satisfying enough for dinner.
- TIME: This recipe takes 50 minutes to make.
- EASE: Simple and easy, you can’t go wrong with this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken- I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this soup as they have less fat than dark meat.
- Vegetables- Celery, carrots, onion, and spinach will be used. Together, they make a flavorful foundation for any soup.
- Seasonings- Salt, black pepper, and thyme will add an earthy, slight lemony, and salty flavor.
- Chicken broth- This is the base of the soup. You can use any kind you like or make your own homemade broth.
- Orzo- This pasta is small and perfect for soups.
- Lemon- Using fresh lemon will give this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup the absolute best flavor.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Use another pasta- Besides orzo, you can also use other small pasta types, such as ditalini, acini di pepe, tubettini, farfalline, or anellini.
- Add other vegetables- Chop up some broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper, mushroom, or kale to add to this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
- Substitute another protein- Instead of chicken, you can use pork, tofu, meatballs, or tempeh for a vegan option (remember to switch out the broth for veggie broth in that case).
- Make it gluten-free- Orzo has gluten so using a smaller gluten-free pasta or substituting a grain like rice or quinoa will make this soup gluten-free.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Saute vegetables. In a large pot, bring olive oil to medium high heat, then cook the diced carrot, onion, and celery until they become translucent. Then add the thyme.
- Cook the chicken. Now add the cubed chicken breast to the same pot and cook until the chicken is fully cooked through.
Pro Tip: To know the chicken is done, either pierce a piece to make sure the juices run clear or check with a meat thermometer that it is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and water into the pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add in the orzo and seasonings. Now carefully add the cooked orzo into the soup (I use a large slotted spoon) and bring it to a boil again. Then stir in the salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Finish with the spinach. Lastly, add fresh spinach to the soup and remove it from the heat.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the chicken small- Keep the chicken cubes to about 1 inch because they will cook faster this way and more evenly if they are all the same size.
- Use fresh lemon- This gives better flavor than lemon juice concentrate. Squeezing a fresh lemon also lets the lemon oils out which have potent flavor.
- Add the spinach last- If spinach cooks too long, it becomes slimy and turns a dull color. Keep it flavorful and delicious by only adding it at the end of the cooking process.
- Make it in the slow cooker- Place the diced veggies, chopped chicken breast, seasonings, lemon juice, chicken broth, and water into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then add the dry orzo and fresh spinach and cook on low for 20-30 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
FAQs
Orzo is pasta that has a grain-like shape similar to rice. Although it may look like rice, it is just plain pasta made from wheat semolina flour.
Adding lemon to a chicken soup like this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup enhances the flavors and adds a delicious brightness from the citrusy flavor. The lemon also balances out the salty, rich flavor of the chicken and broth.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is so versatile, you can serve it with anything. Pair it with bread, salads, sides, and sandwiches for a tasty lunch or light dinner.
- Bread: Serve it with some Rustic (overnight) Bread, Sourdough Bread, or Super Soft Brioche Dinner Rolls and butter.
- Sandwiches: Enjoy this soup with a Turkey Panini Recipe, Beef Brisket Sandwich, Turkey Croissant Sandwich, or Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
- Salad: Pair this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with a Spinach Salad, Tomato Garlic Salad, Cucumber Radish Salad, or Best Broccoli Cranberry Salad.
- Sides: Serve it alongside some Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Air Fryer Baked Potato, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Scalloped Potatoes.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: This soup can be made days ahead and either stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer for longer.
Storing: Store any leftovers of this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Once the soup is fully cooled down, place a plastic gallon sized zip-lock freezer bag into a large bowl and ladle the soup into the bag. Try to get as much air out, then close well. Now lay the bag flat in the freezer and freeze for up to 1 month.
More Delicious Soups!
This recipe was originally posted on Jun 24, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
This post has Amazon affiliate links for tools we used to make this recipe.
Full Recipe Instructions
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 celery sticks diced
- 3 medium carrots diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 2 chicken breasts
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Dice the carrot, onion, and celery. Then cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrot, onion, and celery. Cook until the onion becomes translucent then add the dried thyme.
- Cook the orzo according to the package. Then drain the water out and set aside.
- Add the chopped chicken to the sautéed vegetables and cook until the chicken is fully cooked. (About 6 minutes)
- Pour in the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Then gently add the cooked orzo into the soup and bring it to a boil once more.
- Add the salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The amount of salt can be adjusted to your liking.
- Lastly, add fresh spinach and remove the soup from the heat.
Notes
- Chop the chicken small- Keep the chicken cubes to about 1 inch because they will cook faster this way and more evenly if they are all the same size.
- Use fresh lemon- This gives better flavor than lemon juice concentrate. Squeezing a fresh lemon also lets the lemon oils out which have potent flavor.
- Add the spinach last- If spinach cooks too long, it becomes slimy and turns a dull color. Keep it flavorful and delicious by only adding it at the end of the cooking process.
- Make it in the slow cooker- Place the diced veggies, chopped chicken breast, seasonings, lemon juice, chicken broth, and water into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then add the dry orzo and fresh spinach and cook on low for 20-30 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on June 24th, 2015, it has been updated since.
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Donna says
I made this dish and it was dish. Will definitely make it again
simplyhomecooked says
Yay! So happy to hear you loved this chicken orzo soup! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome review! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Shelby says
I really enjoyed this recipe. I made just a few tweaks for personal preference adding in fresh ginger, using thighs instead of breasts and adding truffle zest. This will be a new cold weather favorite, thank you.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Shelby! Thank you for the great feedback 🙂 I love the idea of truffle zest, YUM!
Irene says
Amazing soup! My hubby loves it!:) I found your blog through a pin on Pinterest and have already tried 3 recipes, Im a fan:)
simplyhomecooked says
Irene I’m so happy you came across my blog! I hope you continue to find more recipes that you and your family will enjoy. Thank you so much for leaving feedback, I really appreciate it! 🙂