This Chicken Orzo Soup is a light and healthy soup filled with tender chicken and orzo in a bright lemony broth. It is an easy, comforting soup recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes.
Why You Will Love Chicken Orzo Soup
When it comes to soul-satisfying comfort food, chicken soup reigns high on the list of all-time favorites.
And this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is my all-time favorite chicken soup recipe!
- The flavor is incredible. The broth is richly flavored, yet the addition of lemon brightens up the whole soup and gives the soup an incredible punch of flavor.
- Easy to make. We are talking one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes, making this soup perfect for ANY night of the week!
- Hearty. From the chunks of tender chicken to pasta to the veggies, this soup satisfies and leaves you full for hours!
- Healthy. Made with simple, wholesome ingredients and very little oil, Chicken Orzo Soup packs in nutrients, while still being relatively low in fat and calories.
- Picky-Eater Approved. My two picky kiddos and very picky husband LOVE this chicken soup. While my son MAY pick out the cooked carrots in the soup, my entire family loves this recipe, and for this mom, that is a win!
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe.
- Chicken Stock: Use your favorite low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock. And yes, chicken broth and chicken stock are interchangeable.
- Wine: I love adding a bit of dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, to the base of the soup recipe. It adds a depth of flavor and richness that cannot be duplicated using just broth. That said, if you don't have wine on hand or don't care to use alcohol, simply replace the wine with additional broth. It will still be delicious!
- Orzo: Orzo looks like grains of rice but is actually a type of pasta and can be found with all the other varieties of dry pasta in just about any grocery store.
- Aromatics: The base of this soup starts just like all good soups with the combination of onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.
- Thyme: Thyme is the perfect complement to both the chicken and lemon in this recipe. Use fresh thyme for the best flavor, but you can substitute it with dried thyme leaves, not ground thyme.
- Lemon: Obviously, lemon is essential in a Lemon Chicken Orzo soup recipe. Be sure to only use FRESH lemon juice and to zest the lemons before juicing them.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: While you can omit the red pepper flakes if you are sensitive to heat, a little bit really helps the flavors to pop and to wake your palate.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
The first step to making this soup is searing the chicken. This will give this chicken a nice golden color and seal the juices in the chicken.
- To do this, heat a bit of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stock pan.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper evenly--this will help to give the chicken flavor.
- Saute the chicken until golden on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the seared chicken from the pan and place it on a plate to add back to the soup later. This will help prevent the chicken from overcooking.
Once the chicken is seared, the next step is to saute the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic. This step is the building base for just about all good soups!
- Add a bit more oil to the same pot that you seared the chicken in.
- Once the oil is heated, add in the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in thyme and garlic and cook for just 1 minute, or until your nose smells the garlic--you don't want your garlic to burn, as that will ruin the flavor of your soup.
Now that the vegetables are softened, it is time to add in the wine, broth, and seasonings to develop the rich broth.
- If using wine, stir the wine into the vegetable mixture and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes, just to let the alcohol cook off.
- Add in the chicken stock, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil.
Once the broth is boiling, it is time to cook the orzo and finish cooking the chicken.
- Stir in the reserved chicken and orzo to the boiling stock.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the orzo is just cooked through.
At this point, you have a delicious Chicken Orzo Soup. But we really want to take it over the top by adding in lemon zest and lemon juice. This will elevate and brighten the flavors of the soup, turning a good soup into a phenomenal chicken soup.
- Remove the soup from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
- Taste to adjust seasonings.
Serving Suggestions
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is hearty enough to stand alone as an entree. However, I love to pair it with rustic Dutch Oven Bread to soak up the rich broth and a Spinach Avocado Salad to round out the meal. Feel free to top each bowl of soup with fresh parsley and/or parmesan cheese.
Storage
Allow the soup to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can store the leftover soup in a freezer-safe container, leaving 1-inch space for expansion, in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you want to reheat the Chicken Orzo Soup, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator if needed. You can reheat the soup in a saucepan over low heat or in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave until warmed through. Keep in mind that because this soup is made with orzo, which is pasta, it will soak up some of the broth as it sits. Remedy this, by adding a bit of water or stock to the soup before reheating.
Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup
If you want to prepare this soup using the Instant Pot, follow the modified instructions below.
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute and heat the oil.
- Once heated, add in the cubed, seasoned chicken, onions, carrots, and celery and saute until the chicken is browned and the vegetables have softened.
- Add the wine to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Turn the Saute function off.
- Add in the chicken stock, garlic, thyme, seasonings, and orzo to the inner pot.
- Seal the lid on the pressure cooker and set it to cook on high pressure for 1 minute, followed by 10 minutes of natural pressure release. This timing will cook the pasta to perfection.
- After 10 minutes have passed, do a quick release of any remaining pressure if needed, and then stir in the lemon zest and juice.
Recipe Modifications
- Using Leftover Cooked Chicken: If you have leftover cooked chicken, such as leftover rotisserie chicken, that you would like to use to make this soup, simply add 3-4 cups of shredded or diced cooked chicken to the soup for the last 5 minutes of simmering, just to warm it through.
- Add Spinach: Feel free to stir in 5 ounces of fresh baby spinach into the soup when adding the lemon and lemon zest.
- Lemon Dill Chicken Orzo Soup: Lemon, dill, and chicken are another classic pairing. For a soup with notes of fresh dill, omit the thyme from the recipe and stir in 2 tablespoons of freshly minced fresh dill when you add in the lemon.
- Make with Whole Grains: Use whole wheat orzo in place of regular orzo pasta.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.
If you tried out this recipe for Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1-inch chunks
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine optional
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom stock pan over medium heat. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper and then add to the heated oil. Saute until golden on each side, and then remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add in the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the wine, if using, and allow the alcohol to cook off for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes, if using, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the reserved chicken and orzo and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the orzo is al dente, about 9-10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve with parsley if desired.
Notes
- Using the saute function, heat the oil. Once heated, add in the cubed, seasoned chicken, carrots, celery, and onions and saute until the chicken is lightly browned.
- Once the chicken is golden, add the wine to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Turn the Saute function off.
- Add chicken stock, seasonings, and orzo to the inner pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 1 minute, followed by 10 minutes of natural pressure release. This timing will cook the pasta to perfection.
- After 10 minutes have passed, do a quick release of any remaining pressure if needed, and then stir in the lemon zest and juice.
Letha
Can you substitute gluten free pasta or rice?
Letha
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Letha! Barilla gluten-free orzo works well in this recipe.
Nicole DiDomenico
When making it in the instant pot do I saute the chicken and take it out saute tye vegetables and put it back?
Kristen Chidsey
You can saute the chicken with the vegetables until just golden and then deglaze the pan. No need to remove the chicken.
Natalie
Beautiful soup. Healing and healthy. I will make this for my son.
Katie
Lemon, chicken, and orzo are a match made in heaven. This soup is so comforting on cold winter days.
Louise
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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.