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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!
Love lemon chicken? Try my Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken or this Lemon Chicken Orzo (One Pot Pasta).
Why you’ll love it
I’ve made a lot of soups on here, but this lemon chicken soup with orzo is hands down the most beloved by my readers. It’s just so comforting without being heavy, and people adore the bright lemony broth. This orzo soup is simple to make, so it’s a low-effort cozy soup.
If you’re not familiar with it, 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 cook with it fairly often, and I always enjoy it. This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is like chicken noodle soup but elevated!
What you’ll need
- Celery, carrots, and onion – the aromatic base for any good soup. I prefer sweet (Vidalia) onion, but yellow works as well.
- Butter and olive oil – for sautéing
- Garlic – for more savory flavor
- Flour – it thickens the broth a little
- Chicken broth – for deeper, richer flavor
- Italian seasoning – it’s my favorite dried herb blend that comes all in a single jar for convenience
- Chicken – the boneless skinless chicken breasts cook right in the soup
- Orzo – you’ll be able to find it in the dry pasta aisle
- Lemon juice – for that burst of brightness
- Parsley – it adds a pop of flavor and freshness
Pro tip
You can increase the amount of lemon juice to suit your tastes and serve with lemon slices right in the bowls as well for even more lemon flavor.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I like to use this garlic press to mince it since you don’t need to peel the cloves first, and this airtight pantry container is great for keeping flour fresh.
- Here is the Dutch oven I use for my soups.
- 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!
How to make lemon chicken orzo soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery with the olive oil and butter until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, followed by the flour. Pour in the chicken broth, and stir until the flour has totally dissolved.
Add in the Italian seasoning and the uncooked chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and then simmer for about 15 minutes. Add in the orzo, and simmer until it’s al dente, stirring fairly often.
Once the chicken reaches a temperature of 165F, take it out and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add it back in along with the lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, and salt & pepper. That’s it!
Can I make it ahead?
- Yes, but you may not want to use the one pot method in that case since the orzo will soak up the broth over time. If you plan on having a lot left over or are making it well ahead of time, I recommend cooking the orzo separately and adding it into each bowl when warming it up.
Substitutions and variations
- 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.
- Want to make this soup in your slow cooker instead? Try my Crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
What to serve with this soup
- I like to keep it simple with a big slice of bread. I’d recommend a baguette or sourdough to round out the meal.
- If you love the soup and salad combo, try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or mixed greens with my Homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- It’ll keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You may need to add more chicken broth to leftovers as the pasta will absorb it.
- This soup can be frozen, but the orzo does get a bit puffy. If you want to freeze the whole batch, I recommend adding cooked orzo in after you thaw it.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat until warmed through, stirring every so often.
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 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This soup is amazing. I doubled the lemon as suggested and I might triple it next batch. I’ve have chronic GI issues and this is the perfect remedy. It’s rich and delicious. I think this tastes similar to Yannis Greek Restaurant’s orzo lemon chicken soup. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s going to become a staple here at my house!
I would recommend reading the whole blog post and not just skip to the recipe. There are helpful tips. I meal prepped this, and added the orzo right before I ate it instead of in the fridge and that was a great plan since the orzo really soaks up all of the broth!
You’re very welcome! I also appreciate you reading the blog post – I try my best to give people all the info to have recipe success in their kitchens. 😀
Hi Natasha,really want to make this soup,I was wondering if you can use rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts and if you can ,how many cups,can’t wait to make😊
Hi Denise! See ‘subs and variations’ in the blog post. I’d use about 2 cups or so. Enjoy! XO
Making the soup right now… what about the stuff/scum that floats to the top from the chicken. I used chicken tenders that were pretty trimmed… should I skim it off or is it good flavor? I’ve made this 3-4 times and Love this recipe passing it on to family and friends! Thank you!
Hi Lisa! You could definitely skim it off if you prefer. 🙂
I made this last night for my son who hasn’t been feeling the best and he LOVED it. He asked if I would make it every week or two. I will probably add more chicken broth and cook the orzo separately so it has more broth. Absolutely fantastic!
I’m so happy to hear that, Heather!
I have made this many times and we Love this recipe! I only omit the flour as we like more of a broth like soup. However, in my experience, the orzo naturally breaks down a bit and acts as a thickener. Very nice and yummy soup!
Thanks, Cat!!
I used three lemons and got a little bit over 3 tablespoons of juice plus I used some zest from one lemon.
Excellent!
I’ve made this twice now and both times, there’s barely any broth. What am I doing wrong? It’s so flavorful but I’d like it to be more soupy vs. orzo-y. Thoughts?
Hi Emily! Try cooking the orzo separately.
I was thinking of doing that as well, cooking the orzo separately because it’s a real pain that it sticks even on low heat.
This is the favorite of all soups in my soup rotation! It’s easy enough to make right after work, and it is absolutely delicious! I typically use roasted chicken from the grocery for faster prep and add it toward the end. We also love to go heavy on the lemon.
Thank you so much, Martha!
I did the exact same thing! I had some broth already made from scratch, I have some rotisserie chicken, and I used three lemons plus one lemon zest. It looks pretty good! I have to say the prep time is significant.
East and delish!
I cook the orzo separately and add it to soup when serving
Thanks, Cindy!
When is the chicken added? 🤔
Hi Alisha! Step 3. There’s also step-by-step photos in the blog post that shows that step.