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This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is light, healthy, and cozy. It uses wholesome everyday ingredients and is sure to become a family favorite!
Love lemon chicken? Try my Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken or this Lemon Chicken Orzo (One Pot Pasta).
Why you’ll love it
I’ve made a lot of soups on here, but this lemon chicken soup with orzo is hands down the most beloved by my readers. It’s just so comforting without being heavy, and people adore the bright lemony broth. This orzo soup is simple to make, so it’s a low-effort cozy soup.
If you’re not familiar with it, orzo is that tiny rice-shaped pasta. It looks like rice but cooks really fast, so you get that rice effect in less time. I cook with it fairly often, and I always enjoy it. This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is like chicken noodle soup but elevated!
What you’ll need
- Celery, carrots, and onion – the aromatic base for any good soup. I prefer sweet (Vidalia) onion, but yellow works as well.
- Butter and olive oil – for sautéing
- Garlic – for more savory flavor
- Flour – it thickens the broth a little
- Chicken broth – for deeper, richer flavor
- Italian seasoning – it’s my favorite dried herb blend that comes all in a single jar for convenience
- Chicken – the boneless skinless chicken breasts cook right in the soup
- Orzo – you’ll be able to find it in the dry pasta aisle
- Lemon juice – for that burst of brightness
- Parsley – it adds a pop of flavor and freshness
Pro tip
You can increase the amount of lemon juice to suit your tastes and serve with lemon slices right in the bowls as well for even more lemon flavor.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I like to use this garlic press to mince it since you don’t need to peel the cloves first, and this airtight pantry container is great for keeping flour fresh.
- Here is the Dutch oven I use for my soups.
- If you really want a more intense pop of lemon in here, I suggest grating in some lemon zest. I love my Microplane zester/grater for that purpose!
How to make lemon chicken orzo soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery with the olive oil and butter until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, followed by the flour. Pour in the chicken broth, and stir until the flour has totally dissolved.
Add in the Italian seasoning and the uncooked chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and then simmer for about 15 minutes. Add in the orzo, and simmer until it’s al dente, stirring fairly often.
Once the chicken reaches a temperature of 165F, take it out and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add it back in along with the lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, and salt & pepper. That’s it!
Can I make it ahead?
- Yes, but you may not want to use the one pot method in that case since the orzo will soak up the broth over time. If you plan on having a lot left over or are making it well ahead of time, I recommend cooking the orzo separately and adding it into each bowl when warming it up.
Substitutions and variations
- You can substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you prefer.
- If you want to make this with already cooked/rotisserie chicken, I suggest adding the chicken in at the same time as the orzo so you don’t overcook it.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if you have concerns with salt.
- Want to make this soup in your slow cooker instead? Try my Crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
What to serve with this soup
- I like to keep it simple with a big slice of bread. I’d recommend a baguette or sourdough to round out the meal.
- If you love the soup and salad combo, try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or mixed greens with my Homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- It’ll keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You may need to add more chicken broth to leftovers as the pasta will absorb it.
- This soup can be frozen, but the orzo does get a bit puffy. If you want to freeze the whole batch, I recommend adding cooked orzo in after you thaw it.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat until warmed through, stirring every so often.
More delicious chicken soup recipes
Questions about this soup? Leave me a comment below, and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you’ve made it!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1.5 pounds uncooked chicken breasts
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the celery, carrots, and onions in a large soup pot with the butter and oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for another minute or so.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir until the flour has dissolved, then add the Italian seasoning and chicken. Bring the soup to a boil.
- Cover the soup (lid slightly open), and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the orzo and cook for another 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through. I keep the lid off and stir it fairly often because it tends to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Take the chicken out of the pot and cut it up, then add it back in. Add the lemon juice (you may want to add more than I suggest – I didn't want to make the soup too lemony for some people), parsley, and season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can sub the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Chicken is safe to eat at 165F and can go from undercooked to overcooked quickly, so I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer whenever cooking chicken so you’re not guessing.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if you’re sensitive to salt.
- You may need to add more chicken broth to leftovers as the orzo soaks it up.
- This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have made this soup many many times!! It is my go to soup!! I use rotisserie chicken and add it when I put the orzo in!! I add lots of lemon juice and zest more than what is called for!! It is the most amazing soup and never fails!! I love when the orzo plumps up and makes it even thicker the next day!! Serve with crusty bread!! Comfort food!!
Fantastic!! 🙂
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe….perfect just the way its written…10 out of 10 !!!!
You’re welcome! Thank you for the kind words, Kimberly!
This is my favorite soup! So easy for a quick weeknight dinner. Could this be done in a crockpot to serve a crowd? would the orzo need to be cooked separately?
Hi! I have the Crockpot version linked in the blog post under the “subs & variations” section. 🙂
I made the soup. I used the better then bullion (chicken) and also added Italian bullion as well. Also I used 7 chicken drumsticks, real meaty and easier to get the meat off. Would use more lemon zest and juice.
Cooked the orzo separately and loved it, would make it again
Thanks
Fab!
I made this for dinner last night and having leftovers now. It’s so good! Found my new cozy, go-to soup. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Esme! Happy to hear it!
I am obsessed with this soup recipe. I pretty much live off this when the weather turns cold. I make a few swaps as per my taste (extra lemon, extra garlic, a little red pepper, dried parsley and thyme instead of fresh parsley, butternut squash instead of celery). I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve made this. Everyone I’ve made this for has been a big fan as well!
Aww it’s one of our faves too! So happy you enjoy it so much, Katie!! 🙂
This was easy & delicious. I’m an amateur but found this to be pretty easy. My family loved it!
That’s what I like to hear!! 😀 I appreciate your review, Kitty!
This was absolutely and by far one of the best soup recipes I’ve ever made! I am a soup lover (especially in these cold months) and my family gets so tired of eating it as much as I want to. Not this one though. Every single one of them ate it up and asked for seconds. This will definitely be a new staple in our house!
That’s great to hear!! 😀
I’ve made for myself and LOVED it, now I’m making for a family going through a difficult time. I hadn’t thought about the pasta soaking up the liquid if I made it the night before, do you have any recommendations? Should I add more stock ahead of time or would it soak up either way? Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi! I’m so glad it’s a hit. See the “can I make it ahead?” section in the post that explains what to do. 🙂
Didn’t have chicken stock; made with water and still came out delicious! Made this for dinner tonight and my husband and kids loved it!
I doubled the recipe and made the following substitutions:
gluten-free flour
dried parsley
water (didn’t have chicken stock).
Since I didn’t have chicken stock, I added:
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
juice of 2 lemons
Will be making this again and again!
So glad you liked it, Sandy!