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This lemon chicken orzo soup is the new take on your classic chicken noodle soup with its immune boosting ingredients and fantastic flavor. It makes for a great weeknight meal on a chilly night.
Some people say soup season is year round but for me I associate soup with cold weather – from sweet potato chili to roasted tomato basil soup to roasted cauliflower soup. You really can’t go wrong.
With it still being cold and then end of lemon season, I figured why not take advantage of fresh produce but also make something meant for chilly weather.
Like many people, during this time of year soup is our meal of choice many nights, but what makes this chicken and orzo soup great, is it’s also a good option if you’re aren’t feeling the best either. As you can see, there are a few ingredients from this immune boosting food list. Who said chicken noodle soup was the only way to go?
The star in this orzo soup is the lemon. There is just the right amount of lemon flavor that keeps this soup bright and refreshing. But hey if you really love lemon, you can always add more! No judgement here.
So if you are looking for a healthy comforting soup, this chicken lemon orzo soup should be at the top of the list.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil and unsalted butter – used for flavor and helps cook the chicken.
- Chicken – can use chicken breasts or thighs.
- Onion, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, lemons, parsley – all produce that adds nutrition and flavor.
- Dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, black pepper – enhances the flavor.
- Orzo pasta – this recipe has orzo in the name for a reason but you can use other pasta or rice.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook on both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Heat remaining tbsp olive oil and butter over medium heat and add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.
- Add chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 12 minutes.
- Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Benefits of Lemons
Lemons have quite the flavor so a little goes a long way in recipes, but they also happen to be good for you as well. While
- Boosts the immune system – high in Vitamin C which helps battle the common cold and flu.
- Lowers blood pressure/stroke risk – studies have shown that consuming lemons every day helps lower your stroke risk and blood pressure.
- Increases iron absorption – pairing foods that are higher in Vitamin C like lemons with iron-rich foods maximizes your iron intake.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes of course. Sometimes I do this myself. You’ll want to add about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to the soup.
Do You Cook the Orzo Before Adding to the Soup?
No. Part of the beauty of this lemon chicken orzo soup is its simplicity. You just add the orzo to the chicken broth and cook until tender.
Can I Use Other Pasta?
Yes. Any type of short cut pasta will work or even rice. Another favorite of mine is farro. Just keep in mind different types of rice and pasta have different cook times.
Can I Use Dried Herbs?
You can but I recommend using fresh herbs if possible. The freshness of the herbs really enhances the flavors. Dried herbs can work, but you’ll have to play around with how much to add since this recipe was developed with fresh. Usually you use 1/3 the amount of dried when compared to fresh.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken to make the soup even quicker.
- Use quality low-sodium chicken broth as it contributes to the flavor. You can also use chicken stock which gives the chicken barley soup more mouth feel.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- The soup is great for leftovers but the orzo soaks up the broth so just add more broth.
Other Soup Recipes
- Thai Chicken Peanut Ramen
- Salsa Verde Chicken Pozole
- Beer Cheese Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Barley Soup
If you’ve tried this lemon chicken orzo soup or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch chunks
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook on both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Heat remaining tbsp olive oil and butter over medium heat and add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.
- Add chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken to make the soup even quicker.
- Use quality low-sodium chicken broth as it contributes to the flavor. You can also use chicken stock which gives the chicken barley soup more mouth feel.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- The soup is great for leftovers but the orzo soaks up the broth so just add more broth.
I could use this right now!