Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
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Cozy lemon chicken orzo soup is bright, warm and cozy! Juicy chicken bites in a flavorful lemony broth sit side by side with bites of carrots, brightly colored spinach and tender orzo pasta in every spoonful. This delicious soup is perfect for lunch, dinner or any time you want to snuggle down with a bowl.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Light But Cozy– I love making chicken soup with orzo as an alternative to regular chicken noodle soup recipe. It makes a great lunch, and works well for meal prep or sick days. Fresh soup tastes so yummy when you are sick, and this one has so much flavor.
- Easy To Make – The ingredient list on this lemon chicken orzo soup includes a lot of pantry and fridge staples, so you won’t be searching for strange ingredients for this delicious meal.
- Family Friendly Flavor– The lemon flavor on this soup is on the lighter side because that’s the amount of lemon my family enjoyed best. This soup is easily adjusted to your own tastes to include more or less bright citrus flavors so it is absolutely delicious for your own tastes.
I originally made this as a copycat Panera lemon chicken orzo soup recipe. My kid really enjoyed that soup, and we decided to make our own version for our table at home. It’s way less expensive to make it yourself and makes the best soup!
Ingredients For Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- olive oil
- white onion diced
- large carrots – diced
- butter salted
- garlic minced
- flour
- low sodium chicken broth– you can also use your favorite chicken stock but you may need to add a little more water to the soup if it’s a thicker stock. Homemade chicken broth can also be used if you prefer.
- chicken breast – I used boneless skinless chicken breast. You can also use rotisserie chicken or precooked leftover chicken, see notes at the bottom of the page. Dark meat like boneless chicken thighs can also be used.
- water
- oregano – dried
- thyme – dried
- salt
- black pepper
- orzo pasta – dried
- lemon juice – it’s best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe
- spinach diced I always dice the spinach a little so it fits one the spoon better, even if it’s baby spinach.
How To Adjust The Lemon Flavor
I made a few rounds with the suggested lemon zest also and as a lemon fan really enjoyed the extra punch of lemon flavor it can give the soup. You can easily adjust the amount of fresh lemon juice and zest in this soup to your own tastes.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Place the diced onion and diced carrots in the pan and sauté. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the carrots and onions have softened.
- Turn the stove down to medium heat. Place the butter in the pot with the carrots and onions. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Place the flour to the pot and stir quickly for about a minute. Pour 64 ounces of low sodium chicken broth and one cup of water to the pot. Add the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper to the pot.
- Turn up the heat to high then add the chicken breast. Bring the entire pot to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and cover the pot. Allow the chicken to simmer in the pot for 10- 15 minutes or until cooked all the way through. This time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and dice into bite sized pieces then set aside. You can also make it shredded chicken with two forks if you prefer.
- Add the orzo pasta to the pot and turn the heat back up to medium- high. Cook the orzo pasta in the soup for ten minutes or until tender and al dente. Stir occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the cooked chicken back to the soup. Add the juice from half of a lemon into the soup. Taste and add the second half of the lemon if you prefer. Place the diced spinach into the pot and stir until wilted, about one minute. Serve and enjoy!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe Variations
Try Adding Kale– While I prefer spinach, kale is another great addition in this soup. Make sure to remove the tough kale stems. You can also use frozen kale.
Top With Parmesan Cheese– The saltiness of the parmesan cheese is delicious on top of this soup!
Add Fresh Herbs– If you have fresh herbs on hand, flavors like fresh thyme, fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley or even fresh basil are delicious in this soup. Chop them and add them at the end to give the soup a fresh lift. I’ll be sure to add some fresh herbs at the end if I have them next time, so tasty!
Make It Creamy– To make this soup creamy, you can finish it with a drizzle of heavy cream or half and half in the pot right before serving. I recommend using between 1/4 and 1/2 cup to your taste.
Make The Broth Look More Yellow- A pinch of turmeric in this soup gives the broth even more of a delicious yellow appearance. This is especially helpful if you add cream to the soup, which will make the soup appear more white.
What Do I Serve With Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup?
Bread– Whether you choose a cheesy garlic bread, homemade garlic knots or just a piece of sourdough, having a little crusty bread to sop up that yummy broth is always delicious with this soup.
Crackers– Salty saltine crackers or a buttery Ritz style cracker on top are a great addition to this soup. I make this recipe sometimes when I’m not feeling great, and usually serve it then with just crackers.
Sandwich Or Wraps – Try this recipe with warm ham and cheese sliders , the cranberry pecan chicken salad, or the Italian pinwheels. My semi homemade pepperoni rolls are quick, easy and tasty with this soup. Also consider a basic turkey sandwich, BLT sandwich or even a grilled cheese.
Salad– A side salad with this soup makes a combo, just like you are at Panara!
How Long Does This Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe Last?
Expect this soup to last for about three days in the refrigerator if you store soup in an airtight covered container.
This lemon chicken orzo soup can be frozen and will be delicious when reheated. If I am reheating the soup from frozen I sometimes add an extra squeeze of fresh lemon when serving.
Why Does The Orzo Soak Up The Broth When Storing Leftover Soup?
This soup will thicken on the second day. Expect to add a little water when reheating leftover soup the next day or defrosting frozen soup as the orzo will expand and absorb some or even most of the broth. It’s still wonderful recipe to make and enjoy for lunches as meal prep..
You can cook the orzo separately and add it back to the pot after boiling it in water. This can sometimes help to make sure the orzo is tender but can keep the orzo from soaking up all of the broth.
The orzo pasta will continue to soak up the broth the longer it sits in the broth. I find it’s simplest with this easy recipe to just to add some water when reheating. The soup will still have plenty of flavor.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
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Super Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup
Equipment
- 5 quart dutch oven or pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 white onion diced, about ¼ of a medium onion
- 2 large carrots about 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 64 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1 cups water
- 1 teaspoon oregano – dried
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme – dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup orzo dried
- 1 large lemon juice, about 2-3 tablespoons or one lemon
- 1 cup spinach diced
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Place the diced onion and diced carrots in the pan and sauté. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the carrots and onions have softened.
- Turn the stove down to medium heat. Place the butter in the pot with the carrots and onions. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Place the flour to the pot and stir quickly for about a minute. Pour 64 ounces of low sodium chicken broth and one cup of water to the pot. Add the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper to the pot.
- Turn up the heat to high then add the chicken breast. Bring the entire pot to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and cover the pot. Allow the chicken to simmer in the pot for 10- 15 minutes or until cooked all the way through. This time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and dice into bite sized pieces then set aside.
- Add one cup of dried orzo pasta to the pot and turn the heat back up to medium- high. Cook the orzo pasta in the soup for ten minutes or until tender and al dente. Stir occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the chicken back to the soup. Add the juice from half of a lemon into the soup. Taste and add the second half of the lemon if you prefer. Place the diced spinach into the pot and stir until wilted, about one minute. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Can you clarify the recipe. It says 1 cup of water but in the cooking directions it says 2 cups fo water.
Sorry about that, I had actually tried it both ways. One batch with two cups of added water, and one batch with one cup of added water. We liked it with one cup of water better, but you can always add a little more water at the end if you like it a little more liquidy. I went ahead and updated the post as well, thanks! -Kristy
This soup is outstanding. I made a very large pot and we ate it three days in a row.
Simply delicious.
So glad you enjoyed the soup Carole!
Just found this recipe on FB and made it today! I wasn’t sure how I’d like the lemon flavor in a soup but it was so fresh and delicious!! The next time I make it, I’ll cut the chicken into pieces and browning them first
So glad you enjoyed the soup Laurie 🙂