This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is light, healthy, and cozy. It uses wholesome everyday ingredients and is sure to become a family favorite!
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).
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.
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 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.
Ann Hunt says
This is by far the best chicken soup I have ever had.
Very easy to make.
Natasha says
So happy you liked it, Ann!
Shaine says
Great recipe for a quick, filling, healthy dinner. Very easy recipe for a nice homemade soup. Also, in a pinch, one could use pre-cooked chicken, and pre-chopped veggies. Fresh squeeze of lemon adds a perfect touch, with chopped parsley on top. I added white beans and quinoa in lieu of orzo, only because I don't like the texture of the pasta in the leftovers. Oh and red chili flakes 'cause I'm crazy like that.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Jess says
Loved it! Great flavour and super hearty. I like my soups thicker rather then thin and this was exactly what I love. Yes the orzo soaks up a lot of broth for leftovers so keep extra broth handy to add more liquid. Highly recommend this recipe- with extra lemon:)
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Alison Mason says
I added a little lemon zest and used Lemon Garlic Orzo I found at Whole Foods Market... AMAZING!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I love lemon zest, and that orzo flavor sounds delish!
Georgia says
Had to add more broth to cover the orzo, and it was amazing! Made with an easy white bread loaf and dinner Is served.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Lindsay says
My family loved this! I used a package of chicken tenderloin pieces I had and removed them before I added the Orzo, shredded, and added back. Also I used juice from half a lemon. Simple and delicious, thanks!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! You're welcome! 😀
Ann says
This soup is the best I have ever had. So light and loads of flavor.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂 Glad to hear it, Ann!
Mary says
This soup was delicious. Very easy to make (I made it with rotisserie chicken breasts, did not cook it with the orzo, but added it after the orzo was cooked). My husband and I loved it. The lemon makes the whole soup! Thank you.
Natasha says
Fabulous!! 🙂 I agree... the lemon just brightens it up so much. Thanks for commenting, Mary!
Nancy says
I super-love this recipe! Took another's suggestion and added some zucchini just to sneak in more veggies. Other than that I followed it exactly and it was delish! Will definitely make again.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!!! Thanks for commenting, Nancy! I love the zucchini idea too.
Melissa says
This will be my second time making it! Absolutely delicious!! And easy!
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it, Melissa! 😀
Kelsey says
This is a delicious and easy recipe!! I added the juice of two lemons, a bag of chopped kale and some heavy cream at the end. Just for a twist 😊
Natasha says
Fabulous!!! Love those additions. 🙂
Amy J Haynes says
Hi! I was thinking of adding kale...if I can ask you...did you cook it at all before you added it in? How did you do it?
Natasha says
She may not see this message, but if I were to add kale, I'd add it in during the last 10 minutes or so. It takes a bit longer to wilt than spinach.
Denise Irvine says
Delicious. I succeeded !! I’m so happy as I am not a cook lol
Will make this again !! I rate this 10 out of 10
Natasha says
Excellent!! 😀
Suzanne says
This soup was delicious! Very easy to put together, we loved it! I added more chicken broth, as well as the juice of an entire lemon. The additional broth helped once the orzo began to soak up the liquid. The one tablespoon resulted in no lemon flavor at all. The juice of an entire lemon is so delightful! You taste the lemon, but it is not overwhelming.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Yes, that's why I suggest adding more lemon juice. I know some people aren't as big on lemon flavor as I am, so it's easier to suggest adding more than having people not be able to take it away.
Alice Youngs says
Fantastic!! Such a yummy easy soup
Natasha says
Thank you! 🙂
Megan says
Do we need to add flour ?
What does it do?
Natasha says
Well, you don't have to. It just makes the broth a touch thicker.
Megan says
Thank you !!
Natasha says
🙂
Tara says
Super easy and incredibly delicious!!!
Natasha says
Thank you, Tara!! 😀
Kylie says
I never thought of adding lemon to my chicken soup.. But this brightened everything up. Really delicious!
Natasha says
So glad you gave it a try, Kylie!!
Melissa says
Sooooo good! Love this flavor combination. I threw in some Spinach too...just for good measure😊
Natasha says
Awesome!! So glad you like it. I love adding spinach to soups too.
Erica says
Is one cup a serving?
Natasha says
Hi! I don't know what the exact measurement is - sorry! It's whatever the recipe is divided by 6 (my program calculates it for me automatically).
Molly says
Made this twice in one week and it was delicious for everyone I served! Question - going forward, can I add frozen chicken breasts?
Natasha says
I'm so happy it was a hit!! Re: the frozen chicken, I'd be careful with that one. They will take a bit longer to cook, so you may want to use an instant read meat thermometer to ensure they've reached 165F. If you tack on a bit more time to compensate for the frozen chicken (you may or may not need to depending on the size of the chicken breasts), you may want to do that prior to adding the orzo so it doesn't get mushy.
Jen says
I just made this and oh my gosh thank you for sharing!!!! It was so easy to make and SOOOOO good. I did not have celery so i sliced some green onion, and I sub'd the orzo with pastina as that is all I had at home - thank you!
Natasha says
You're welcome!! So happy you enjoyed it.
Ali says
Made it! Fab. Cooked the orzo separately just out of habit and it was fine. I saw someone mention adding turmeric which was great. Thank you!
Natasha says
Great!! You're welcome!
Giulia says
Excited to try this recipe during the snowstorm here in New York! Just want to reconfirm that it's safe to put the chicken uncooked into the soup? Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi! Yes... many people overcook chicken. There is absolutely no need to double cook chicken as it gets dry and rubbery. The chicken in this recipe is cooked for at least 25 minutes (plus the time it takes to bring the soup to a boil), so unless the chicken breasts are absolutely gigantic, I don't see a way for them not to be cooked within that timeframe following the recipe directions. If you're particularly worried, give it a few more minutes in the soup before serving after you cut it up and add it back in. I think everyone should own an instant read meat thermometer for peace of mind. Chicken is safe to eat at 165F and you could test it before cutting up the chicken. Takes about 2 seconds. Hope this helps! Stay warm, and I hope you enjoy the soup. 🙂
Em says
Can you freeze this soup
Natasha says
Info on that is in the blog post 🙂
Em says
This recipe is amazing. I just cook my chicken first.
Natasha says
Excellent!
Barb says
First time making this soup ❤️
I did add a little more lemon juice and a shake of the Italian seasoning.... delicious 😋
I also included chix thighs
Natasha says
Fab!! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Tom says
I’m assuming that a serving equals 1 cup?
Natasha says
I'm not sure. The program I use to calculate nutrition just divides the recipe by the number of servings. 6 in this case. 🙂
Sara says
So good! Excellent flavours! Added a teaspoon of turmeric as well.. thanks for the recipe:)
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Great idea with the turmeric 🙂
Melissa says
So delicious!! I added the juice of a whole lemon plus the zest from it, plus instead of orzo I made my grandmother's gnidles....mix 2/3 cup of flour with 2 eggs then drop in simmering soup to cook them!
Natasha says
Awesome!! Sounds delish!!
Allie says
Delicious! I added two small sliced zucchini with the lemon, just to use them up. Was delicious! Thank you 🙂
Natasha says
Excellent! Love zucchini. So pleased you liked it!
Cayci says
Would this be easy to convert to a slow cooker meal? Maybe in low for 6ish hours?
Natasha says
I'd say so, but I actually linked the slow cooker version in the blog post, so you could give that a try if you like.
Hannah says
Do you add the chicken into the soup uncooked?
Natasha says
That's right. 🙂 It cooks in the soup and helps infuse the broth with flavor. Some readers have used already cooked/rotisserie chicken that they happen to have on hand, but if you go that route, be sure to add it in a lot later so it doesn't end up dry and overcooked.
Marissa says
Delicious ! My kids love it, which is a big bonus 🙂
For the nutritional value, is that per... Serving? Bowl? The whole thing?
THX!
Natasha says
Fab! 🙂 The nutrition info is for 1/6 of the recipe. The calculator simply divides the total by the # of servings listed in the recipe card.
Cici says
This was fantastic. My husband had made some good chicken stock and I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. I feel like it ended up having too much chicken in it, but that might have been user error. So warm and cozy and healthy feeling.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! You can definitely add a bit less chicken next time.
Lauren says
This is so much better then a local restaurants version. I liked this so much I've made it 2 times in a month. The only change I made was added spinach at the end since hubby likes soup with spinach. Thanks!
Natasha says
Fabulous!! I'm so happy that you guys enjoy it 🙂
Linda O says
Delicious! I used small zita. they didn't soak up too much liquid.
Natasha says
Fabulous!! 🙂
Karen J says
Do you use boneless chicken or skin and bone in chicken?
Natasha says
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can definitely use whatever you have on hand/prefer, though.
M Smith says
Have you tried this in the crockpot?
Natasha says
Crockpot version is linked in the blog post 😉
Sheri V. says
Fabulous soup! Huge hit with my hubby! Added a bit more lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon) and let it rest for about 10 minutes so the lemon mingled and wasn't too intense. I also used a shallot instead of onion because that is what I had. Worked out great. Delicious!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! So glad you enjoyed it. I always add extra lemon too.
Amanda Brown says
Very yummy and easy!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Madison says
I made this last night - BEST chicken noodle soup my husband and I have ever had! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Amanda Brown says
What kind of onion did you use for this?
Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi! I typically cook with sweet/Vidalia onions because they're good all-purpose onions for cooked dishes as well as raw. You could use white or yellow onions, though. I prefer to use red onions for raw applications.
Kelsey says
We love this in our house and our 2 year old likes it too!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 🙂
Christine says
I had some silverbeet (chard) on hand, so I chopped that in. Also did the sprinkle of Parmesan cheese plus little drizzle of robust extra virgin olive oil that my Italian mum taught me goes on the top of a good soup. Really good, and healthy. Even my soup-averse 10yo went for it! Thankyou.
Natasha says
Sounds delicious!!
Ashley says
This a total winner. I was looking up a way to use up some orzo and found this recipe. It’s flavorful, cozy, and reheats great. This is a perfect cold weather soup.
(I doubled the Italian seasoning on accident but it wasn’t overpowering, upped the lemon flavor as suggested with some zest and switched out breasts for thighs because it’s what I had on hand.)
Again. This is delicious.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Ashley. Thanks for leaving me a 5-star review!
Heather says
Perfection!
Natasha says
Thank you, Heather!
Becca says
This was great! I added waaaay more lemon (a full lemon), though, as I like a strong lemon flavor. My six year old even ate cooked carrots for the first time with this recipe--success!
Natasha says
That's fantastic!!! Sounds like a win to me. 🙂
Timami Yestha says
I really love this recipe. I always make it when I want a light/clean taste for dinner. I added a pinch of nutmeg to bring the flavors up a notch, truly makes it even better.
Natasha says
That's great!! Your nutmeg suggestion intrigues me... I am tempted to try that!
Lisa says
Just made this , I used a rotisserie chicken but besides that did it to the recipe, added a whole small lemon juice and zest. And it is perfection!! Yum. Will be on rotation, thanks for sharing😊
Natasha says
Awesome!! 🙂
Linda says
This was delicious. I used the juice from a whole lemon to finish it, and it was perfect. I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂
Kate H says
This sounds so good! Any suggestions for converting to instant pot? Thanks!
Natasha says
Thanks! I would probably add everything except the orzo and lemon and do 10 minutes high pressure, 10 min natural release, release rest of pressure, then take the lid off and stir in the orzo and lemon juice and cook on sauté until the orzo is done.