Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a delicious soup for any night of the week. It’s a one-pot chicken soup that has carrots, celery, and a touch of lemon flavor that sets this soup recipe apart from other chicken noodle soup recipes. The ultimate comfort food. 

LEMON CHICKEN SOUP

Last week my friend told me she was coming over with Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. I couldn’t stop thinking about the soup until she came. This soup is pure comfort.

You know I love this regular Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. But I had to recreate this soup for my family a couple of days later because I loved all of the flavors so much.

INGREDIENTS

• CHICKEN BROTH OR CHICKEN STOCK – I like Better than Boullion Base.
• OLIVE OIL
• BUTTER
• CARROTS 
• ONION
• CELERY
• GARLIC
• ITALIAN SEASONING – fresh herbs are great but I don’t always have them on hand.
• BAY LEAF
• LEMON ZEST
• LEMON JUICE – A squeeze of lemon adds a bright citrus flavor.
• ROTISSERIE CHICKEN – you can use leftover chicken or cook the chicken right in the pot when you add the orzo. Shredded chicken breast or chicken thighs work great.
• ORZO PASTA – one cup orzo cooks in the broth but if serving later cook it separately. Any small pasta can be substituted here.
• ITALIAN FLAT LEAF PARSLEY – fresh parsley adds a pop of freshness here.
• KOSHER SALT AND BLACK PEPPER

One thing I did learn is that if you don’t plan on eating it right away you should cook the orzo separately and add it later.

The orzo soaks up all of the liquid. So unless you want a stew, eat it right away or add the orzo later cooked according to the package directions if serving the next day. For leftover soup, just add a little more chicken stock to thin it out.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil and melt butter in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Sautee for about 5 minutes or until veggies are soft. Add the garlic and cook for thirty seconds.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for one minute. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and Italian seasonings.
4. Add the orzo and boil over medium heat until orzo is cooked through about 10 minutes (see Note not serving soup right away). Stir in the chicken until heated through.
5. Just before serving add parsley and remove bay leaf. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add Romano or Parmesan cheese if desired to bowls.

OTHER SOUP RECIPES:

• Lasagna Soup
• Cauliflower Soup
• Creamy Potato Soup
• Easy Tomato Soup
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice
• Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
• Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Zuppa Toscana Soup
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Egg Drop Soup
• Chicken Stew

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

4.67 from 24 votes

This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a comforting and easy meal for any night of the week.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/3 cups carrots, chopped, (about 2 large carrots)
• 1 1/3 cups celery, chopped, (about 2 large celery stalks)
• 1 cup onion, chopped finely, (about 1/2 an onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

Instructions

 

• Heat the olive oil and melt butter in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Sautee for about 5 minutes or until veggies are soft. Add the garlic and cook for thirty seconds.
• Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for one minute. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and Italian seasonings.
• Add the orzo and simmer until orzo is cooked through about 10 minutes (see Note not serving soup right away). Stir in the chicken until heated through.
• Just before serving add parsley and remove bay leaf. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add Romano or Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

If you're serving right away you can add the orzo pasta and chicken at the same time until the orzo is cooked. If you plan on serving later it at a later time you may want to cook the orzo separately and add right before serving. The orzo pasta tends to soak up all the liquid and can become quite thick if you simmer the soup for a long time. You can always add more chicken stock if you want to thin it out a little.

 

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe, Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 776mg, Potassium: 732mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 4927IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 2mg

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Soup

Author: Christy Denney

Christy Denney

Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!

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