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This Chicken Orzo Soup is made with tender chicken, hearty orzo, and a bright broth kissed with lemon, and comes together in just about 30 minutes.
You will love this easy soup recipe because it is a one-pot dinner that balances healthy with comforting in the best kind of way. It is just as satisfying as a bowl of from-scratch chicken soup, but easy enough for a hectic weeknight family meal.
Kristen's Keys for Chicken Orzo Soup
While an easy recipe, a few small details make a big difference and help this soup really shine.
- A quick sear builds texture and deepens flavor. Searing the chicken and sautéing the carrots, onions, and celery adds texture and flavor that will keep this quick-cooking soup from tasting flat.
- Fresh lemon is key here. Don't be tempted to use refrigerated lemon juice, as it can give the soup a bitter aftertaste. Using both the zest and juice of a fresh lemon keeps this soup fresh and bright.
- Wine is optional. Adding a splash of dry white wine will really help to add dimension to the soup, but it can be replaced with additional stock if you don't have wine on hand or don't care to cook with alcohol.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless thighs work well here.
- Wine: If you are adding wine, opt for a dry white wine that is suitable for drinking, such as a Pinot Grigio or Riesling.
- Orzo: Orzo looks like grains of rice but is a type of pasta and can be found with all the other varieties of dry pasta in just about any grocery store.
- Fresh Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves pair well with the lemon and work to enhance the overall flavor of the soup. Dried thyme leaves can be used in place of fresh, but don't be tempted to use ground thyme, which can quickly overpower the soup.
How to Make Chicken Orzo Soup
This section is provided to help you feel confident when it comes to making this chicken orzo soup.
Step One: Sear the Chicken
Heat a bit of oil in a large soup pan. While the oil is heating, generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until each side is just golden, then remove the chicken to a plate. Keep in mind, ee aren't looking to cook the chicken through, just give it a bit of texture and color.
Step Two: Sauté Vegetables
If needed, add a bit more oil to the pan. Then add in the carrots, onions, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Once the onion is translucent, add in the garlic and thyme and cook for just for 30-60 seconds, to lightly toast, but not burn the garlic.
Step Three: Deglaze the Pan
Pour in the wine (or additional broth)and scrape up those browned bits from the bottom of the pot while it simmers. Those little bits are pure flavor and give the broth a deeper, more developed taste with just minutes of cook time.
Step Four: Build the Broth
Add the stock and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves, then bring everything to a gentle boil.
Step Five: Add Chicken and Orzo
Once the broth is boiling, add the seared chicken back to the soup, along with the orzo. Reduce the heat and simmer until the orzo is tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Step Six: Finish with Lemon
Once the orzo is tender, stir in the lemon zest and juice, removing bay leaves as you come across them.
Taste before serving. The most critical part here is to taste before serving. If the soup tastes flat, add a pinch of salt. That is usually all that is needed to make the flavors truly pop and the flavors marry together.
Recipe Modifications
- Put Leftover Chicken to Use: Stir in 3-4 cups of leftover cooked chicken during the last 5 minutes. Just enough time to warm it through.
- Add Spinach: Stir in 5 ounces of baby spinach along with the lemon for added nutrients and color.
- Add Dill: Omit the thyme and finish the soup with 2 tablespoons of fresh dill for a Mediterranean spin.
- Instant Pot Option: For hands-off cooking, use my Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup for the same cozy flavor.
Serving Suggestions and Storage Notes
This Chicken Orzo Soup is hearty enough to be dinner all on its own, especially on busy nights when extra dishes feel rude. If you have a few more minutes, it pairs beautifully with crusty no-knead bread or a simple green salad. The bread is perfect for soaking up that lemony broth, and a fresh salad keeps the meal feeling balanced and light.
Leftovers are delicious, but will need to be thinned out. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind, that just like the noodles in chicken noodle soup swell when chilled, the orzo will do the same. Simply add a splash of broth and a pinch of salt before reheating and your soup will be just as delicious.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
Chicken Orzo Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine, or additional stock
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottom stock pan over medium heat. While the oil is heating season the cubed chicken with kosher salt and pepper. Add to the heated oil, and cook the chicken until until golden on each side. Once seared, remove the chicken from the pan, place it on a plate, and set aside.
- If the pan is dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add in the diced onions, carrots, and celery, and saute until the onion is translucent and softened. about 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves and cook for 30-60 seconds, to just lightly toast.
- Stir ½ cup dry white wine, or additional stock, and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce by half.
- Add 6 cups chicken stock, 2 dried bay leaves, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the pan, stir, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir in the seared chicken and any juices that accumulated on the plate and 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta to the soup. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the orzo is tender, about 9-10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the the zest and juice of 1 large lemon. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My son wanted chicken noodle soup (which ended up getting usurped for his grandpa's clam chowder 🙄), but I didn't so I found this recipe that used many of the same ingredients. I did add some bok choy that I had in the fridge and subbed Israeli couscous for the orzo. It turned out so good and I'll definitely be making this again.
Hi Erika! I am so happy to hear you found a way to please both your son and his Grandpa! Sounds like a delicious, cozy day 🙂
Hello, Kristen ~ I REALLY enjoy looking through (and making many) of the recipes on your site. Your instructions are very well done!
Now to the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup ~ absolutely delicious! We loved it! I
I served it with homemade cornbread. I made the soup recipe very successfully in the Instant Pot. (I also thawed my frozen chicken in the IP prior to beginning the recipe.) I thinly sliced all the vegetables instead of dicing them, and I added spinach when serving to increase the vegetables. I wish I had had some wine available to add to the recipe. I used only chicken stock.
I will use wine the next time I make the soup ~ there WILL BE a next time! This was my first time using orzo in a recipe. The addition of lemon zest and squeezed lemon juice imparted a WONDERFUL flavor.
Thank you for all the work you put into making your site so beautiful and VERY useful!
My best wishes to you!
Hi Trisha! Thank you for you compliment on the layout of my site and recipes 🙂 I appreciate it! I am also thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Orzo soup and that you took the time to leave a review 🙂
Can you substitute gluten free pasta or rice?
Letha
Hi Letha! Barilla gluten-free orzo works well in this recipe.
When making it in the instant pot do I saute the chicken and take it out saute tye vegetables and put it back?
You can saute the chicken with the vegetables until just golden and then deglaze the pan. No need to remove the chicken.
Beautiful soup. Healing and healthy. I will make this for my son.
Lemon, chicken, and orzo are a match made in heaven. This soup is so comforting on cold winter days.
Hi Kristen,
I'm allergic to gluten so wonder if I could make this recipe in my Instant Pot with rice instead.
Thank you so much for your recipes.
Hi Louise. I haven't tried using rice myself to give you the right ratios of rice (as it expands and soaks up more liquid than pasta) or the cooking time. That said, I would think 1/4 cup rice at 2 minutes of cook time on high pressure with natural pressure release would work well.