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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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As far as soup goes this is one of the best ones I’ve found online. Will probably now be my go to, very easy recipe didn’t take long at all and quite delicious!
I’m so glad you like it, Shawn! 😀
This recipe looks yummy. As a vegetarian, I’m planning to omit the poultry. Any ideas for this alteration?
Hi! I think some readers have tried that… you could look thru the comments and that may give you some ideas. I’d probably double up on the veggies and use vegetable broth/bouillon.
Thanks. Good suggestions. I’ll try them.
Hello Natasha. I’m also vegetarian and love this recipe. I’ve tried it using a plant based chicken but prefer it without. I do add “chicken” flavored vegetarian powder/broth, an entire packet of the Italian dressing mix, and the juice of two lemons. I probably use more carrots and definitely less orzo. I think it’s perfect that way.
Hello JavaFox. . I’m also vegetarian and love this recipe. I’ve tried it using a plant based chicken but prefer it without. I do add “chicken” flavored vegetarian powder/broth, an entire packet of the Italian dressing mix, and the juice of two lemons. I probably use more carrots and definitely less orzo. I think it’s perfect that way.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for sharing this delicious and yummy soup. I don’t have a Dutch oven and the slow cooker version will take a bit too long. Is it ok to use a big regular pot in hopes it all absorbs the ingredients? I know this sounds silly, but trying to get get better at my cooking game. Thanks so much again.
Sincerely thankful,
Ashley
Hi Ashley! Absolutely… a regular pot will work just fine. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the soup. Let me know how it goes!
My daughter has Celiac disease so we can’t use orzo. Could I use basmati rice instead? Possibly cook it on the side and add at the end? Or a GF pasta maybe would work? Thoughts on substitutions?
I think that should work, Alison! 🙂 I’d also leave the flour out.
Super easy and flavorful! Made exactly as recipe card stated. Found the soup to be light yet oh so comforting!
Thank you!! 🙂
I made this recipe for lunch with one substitution-I used leftover turkey instead of chicken. I just cut up the turkey and threw it in the pot in the last 10 minutes to heat through. I like easy and quick recipes and this was just that. I will use more lemon juice next time and maybe only one tablespoon of flour because it turned out too thick–but good. I’ll just add more broth with the leftovers. My husband and I really liked it. He told me to make it more often. I plan to do that.
Thanks Lucy! Glad the turkey substitution worked out!
Hi! Do you know how to adjust this if using an instant pot?
No – sorry! I haven’t cooked with orzo in the IP so I don’t really want to guess.
Made this tonight with leftover Turkey. Was really good! I actually used 4 tablespoons of lemon juice (not fresh lemons) as we liked the stronger lemon flavor. Will definitely make this again
Awesome!! So glad you gave it a try!
This is a very easy and delicious recipe to make. The recommendation to add rotisserie chicken at the end with the orzo was a good one. I doubled the lemon juice for just a touch more lemon flavor,and roasted the garlic. Seasoning was well balanced. This recipe is a winner.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Nancy!! 🙂
This was excellent as written. I did use a rotisserie chicken which was a nice shortcut. This will be in the regular rotation for sure.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Terri! Thanks for your review.
Delicious!!! I will make this again and again. So hearty and filling. Even my 6 year old gave it a 10/10.
That’s so nice to hear!! 😀 Thanks for your review!