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close-up of a bowl of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup
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4.94 from 650 votes

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is light, healthy, and cozy. It uses wholesome everyday ingredients and is sure to become a family favorite!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Greek
Keyword: lemon chicken orzo soup, lemon chicken soup with orzo
Servings: 6
Author: Natasha Bull

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

Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1036mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3605IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
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