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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Published: / Updated: / 400 Comments

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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!

close-up of a bowl of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup

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 don't cook with it too often, but I always enjoy it. I mean you can't really go wrong with pasta. Except for bowtie pasta, but that's a story for another day. 😉

Love lemon chicken? Try my Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken or this Lemon Chicken Orzo (One Pot Pasta).

close-up of lemon chicken orzo soup in a yellow pot

This lemon chicken soup with orzo is simple to make. You just sauté the onions, carrots, and celery, stir in the garlic and flour, add the broth, seasoning, and chicken, and cook it for 15 minutes. By that point the chicken is getting cooked, and you can add in the orzo and cook it for another 10 minutes or so until the pasta is done. You take the chicken out and shred/cut it up, add it back to the soup, and then it's time to add the lemon juice, parsley, and salt & pepper.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • 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. 
  • You may need to add more chicken broth to leftovers as the orzo soaks it up. This soup can be frozen, but the orzo does get a bit puffy. If you want to freeze the whole batch, I recommend adding the orzo in after you thaw it. 
  • 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.
  • Want to make this soup in your slow cooker? Try my Crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.

healthy lemon chicken orzo soup in two white bowls

More delicious chicken soup recipes:

easy lemon chicken orzo soup in two bowls

Questions about this soup? Leave me a comment below, and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you've made it. 

close-up of a bowl of Greek lemon chicken orzo soup

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!
5 from 117 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Greek
Servings 6
Calories 298 kcal

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 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 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 ajar), 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.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 29gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 1036mgPotassium: 782mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3605IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
Keyword lemon chicken orzo soup, lemon chicken soup with orzo
Author Natasha Bull
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    • Natasha says

      Fantastic!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Julie! 😀 Thanks for your kind review. Let me know if you try anything else!

      Reply

  3. Elia says

    5 stars
    This is SUCH a delicious recipe! I’ve made it twice now, and I just love the cozy comfort of a chicken soup with the brightness the lemon adds. I’m adding this recipe to the rotation for sure.

    Reply

  4. Artemis says

    5 stars
    Making it now. Will leave lemon juice on the side to taste as my family doesn’t like lemon as much as I do.
    I threw in a bay leaf for good measure and doubled the Italian seasoning as well. I have an extra can of broth ready to add per some of the tips above. Super excited to try this!

    Reply

  5. M.Saddler says

    5 stars
    Let me began by saying there were NO LEFTOVERS. I honestly will double this recipe from now on.(FYI-Family of 6 ) It's to die for!! I will add to our faves!! Have 3 of my girls with colds rn . I added 1 cup frozen peas and 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach, handful of chopped fresh cilantro . All else I followed to the T . I added more veggies for more nutrients . added at the very end . Soup is great as is ! Try it .... promise you won't regret!!!

    Reply

  6. Jordan says

    5 stars
    Thanks for an awesome, easy, and delicious meal during a tough week. I had fresh swiss chard and added in the last five minutes. Delicious!

    Reply

  7. Caitlin says

    5 stars
    So so yummy! My husband “doesn’t like soup” but enjoyed this and has been enjoying left overs! I added extra lemon juice in my bowl because I love citrus. We found these makes left overs for 2-3 days and we add chicken stock each time (and more lemon for me!)

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      With chicken, it's safest to eat leftovers within 3-4 days typically. You may need to add a bit more broth to leftovers when reheating as the orzo will soak it up.

      Reply

  9. Jen Zimmerman says

    I do not have any cooking talent. The only recipe I can do is homemade spaghetti sauce. But I made this soup tonight and it was fantastic! I did use rotisserie chicken but it was perfect, easy and delicious 😋. I just shared it with my sister!

    Reply

  10. Sio says

    Regarding the addition of broth after storing the soup - is it possible to make the soup with extra broth to avoid the absorption issue from the orzo and then have leftover broth after reheating? I think about grab-and-go soup from fridge to office on days I am in a rush and don't have time to add more broth before reheating.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! You could add a bit more broth to begin with, yes. The nature of pasta is to suck up liquid, though, so that can't really be prevented entirely. Another option is to cook the orzo separately and add it to the soup when reheating, but I realize that probably isn't super convenient either for office lunches.

      Reply

  12. Augustė says

    Going to make this one tomorrow but I already know it's going to be amazing! I'm so impressed with the amount of recipes on this page, do you by any chance have a cookbook? Would definitely purchase it.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Thank you!! I hope you enjoy it. 🙂 I don't have a cookbook yet, but I'd love to do one someday. Thanks for your support!

      Reply

  14. Trip Lewis says

    Hi-

    Question regarding the approximate nutrition info…. Is that per serving or for the entire dish?

    Thanks!!

    Reply

  18. Laura D says

    5 stars
    I have made this soup 3 times now, and it is always a hit! I use lemon pepper rotisserie chicken and add probably 3 tbsp of lemon juice. I REALLY love lemon so I also add some Flavor God lemon garlic seasoning, about 1 tsp. The two main men in my life, hubby and dad (who are not big soup eaters), both love this soup. So that’s a win in my book!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! It's 1/6 of the recipe. As to what that is in cups/grams/etc., I don't know. I am not a trained nutritionist and the info is just meant to be an estimate to give you and idea if it's the type of recipe you want to try.

      Reply

  21. JoAnn Harris says

    Loved this recipe! I used rotisserie chicken and the zest and juice of one whole lemon. Husband has lost 50 !bs, and this was filling and healthy for him.

    Reply

  22. Laura says

    This looks delicious! I am new to cooking so I am wondering if it is safe to put the raw chicken in the broth ? Or do you cook the chicken beforehand?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Laura! Yes, it is perfectly safe. 🙂 Double cooking chicken just makes it dry and unappealing. In the recipe if you follow the suggested temperatures and timing, it would be very difficult to end up with undercooked chicken, but it's of course always important to be safe with chicken, so I am glad you asked! Many people overcook chicken because they are worried, but it doesn't have to be like that. I recommend purchasing an instant read meat thermometer (you can get them for under $20) whether you're a new or experienced cook, since that's really the only way to know for sure whether you've got chicken in the sweet spot (just cooked vs. waaaaay overcooked). Test the chicken before you cut it up in step 6 (it literally takes about 2 seconds to do this). If it's 165F when you're about to cut it up, it's done. If it's not quite done but close, cut it up and add it to the soup and then cook it for a few more minutes. Easy peasy! The meat thermometer will give you more confidence as you try various recipes out. Also, I recommend reading through some of the many comments on this post from readers who have successfully made it... it may also put your mind at ease. Let me know if you try the soup!

      Reply

  23. Kasandra says

    5 stars
    I made this soup last week, it was so simple yet delicious! Nourishing, light and full of flavor! Today I had to come back and write the recipe down in my book! Don’t want to misplace this one!
    I added another 4 cups of broth to the leftovers. The lemon zest is a must!

    Reply

  24. Katie says

    5 stars
    This was an excellent recipe. I did add more lemon bc I LOVE lemon, and I also added more parsley, and a titch of powdered chicken bouillon just for extra chicken flavor. SOO good !!

    Reply

  25. Ernestine Riboni says

    5 stars
    I've made this several times and I must say it's delicious! It's now one of my top favorite soups!

    Reply

  26. Sanreid says

    5 stars
    This is the third time I've made this soup and even froze and thawed, both with success and wonderful flavor.
    This time I halved the recipe..just enough for me! Perfection!

    Reply

  28. Clare says

    Amazing, made it over here in Australia during our winter!
    Did you make your own broth? can you used chicken stock?
    Going to try it next time by whipping in egg at the end like my normal chicken soup.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Clare! I'm glad you enjoyed it!! No, I usually just buy store-bought chicken broth (or stock). It's not as tasty, but less work haha.

      Reply

  29. Nadine says

    Just made this. Delicious recipe! Will definitely be one I use all the time. Have you froze this before?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so pleased you liked it!! I haven't frozen it. If you've got leftovers, I think that you'll be ok freezing them, but like I recommend in the blog post, I'd add a little more broth when reheating since it tends to soak it up (just the nature of pasta or rice based soups). If you're planning on freezing a whole batch, I'd freeze the broth separately and add orzo as needed when you're serving.

      Reply

  30. Barb Coons says

    5 stars
    Love this easy recipe! I use rotisserie chicken and a lot more lemon and zest! I have made this many times and it is always a winner!!
    Barb

    Reply