Cozy and comforting, this Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo is a healthy and easy dinner that your entire family will love. The combination of juicy and tender roasted chicken breasts with fresh herbs, hearty vegetables, satisfying orzo pasta and just a subtle touch of lemon makes this a crowd-pleasing way to boost your immunity, keep you warm, and get you through those last few weeks until spring!
As soon as I learned that we would need to stay close to home and avoid going out in the coming weeks (thanks to the recent health concerns), I instantly started planning our meals for the days ahead. After all, food was flying off of the grocery store shelves, options were limited, and I'm still not sure when life will return to normal. Amid all of the chaos, all I could think about was a simmering pot of Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo!
Chicken noodle soup has always been the classic comfort food that my mom prepared for us when we were sick, so it's no surprise that I felt compelled to prepare a big pot of soup in my own kitchen this week as well. If there's anything that we can do to feel nourished and well, count me in.
What is Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo?
It might sound a bit odd, but this is really just a classic chicken noodle soup recipe -- kicked up a notch! With a fresh burst of bright citrus flavor (which is very subtle) and plenty of fresh herbs, the easy Lemon Chicken Soup is a nice transitional dish from winter to spring.
While a classic Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup often includes egg for a creamy consistency, I opted for a more familiar soup base in this recipe -- and therefore omitted the egg. And while I did use orzo pasta in keeping with the Mediterranean tradition, you can certainly substitute with another small pasta shape like ditalini, acini de pepe, or orecchiette. Just remember, orzo is a type of pasta that is shaped like rice -- it is not actually rice. Orzo is made with durham wheat flour (semolina), and is therefore not an equal substitute for rice in recipes.
How to make Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo:
I borrowed Martha Stewart's idea for roasting lemon chicken, and then combined that juicy, flavorful meat with a classic chicken orzo soup recipe. The end result is cozy, comforting, easy and -- most importantly -- delicious!
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- Lemons
- Onions
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Orzo
- Carrots
- Celery
- Bay leaf, thyme and dill
Step 1: Roast the Lemon Chicken
Rub bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts with olive oil, season liberally with salt and pepper, and then place on a baking sheet on top of lemon slices and onion slices.
Step 2: Shred the Chicken
Bake the chicken in a 425 degree F oven for about 45 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and shred the chicken with a fork.
Step 3: Sauté the Onion and Garlic
To prepare the soup, start by cooking onion and garlic in olive oil.
Step 4: Simmer the Soup
Add the chicken broth, water, carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes (or until the veggies are tender).
Step 5: Add the Chicken and Orzo
Stir in the cooked chicken, the orzo and the lemon juice.
Simmer the soup for about 10-12 more minutes, or until the orzo is tender. Then just stir in the fresh dill and serve!
What to serve with easy Lemon Chicken Soup:
With the carbs, protein and veggies, this soup is a one pot meal! That said, here are a few easy sides that go well with chicken soup:
- Baguette, dinner rolls, biscuits or beer bread
- Green salad dressed with Balsamic Vinaigrette or Buttermilk Dressing
- Cornbread or corn muffins
- Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Make Ahead: You can cook the soup in advance, allow it to cool to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Leftover soup will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- To reheat Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo: Place the soup in a saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, just until warmed through (about 5 minutes).
Health Benefits:
This nourishing soup is full of healthy ingredients! It has plenty of lean protein (thanks to the chicken breast), and it's full of vegetables and all of their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. One cup of the Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo Pasta has about 136 calories, 4 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of protein. Chicken soup is said to help build a healthy immune system to fight off viruses, while also helping your body recover from illness more quickly. While it's a low-calorie option, this recipe is not gluten-free and it's not low-carb or Keto-friendly.
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- The roasted lemon chicken is worth the extra step! It's so good, in fact, that you might just want to eat the chicken on its own for dinner! Roasting the chicken breast over lemon and onion just adds another layer of flavor to the soup.
- I highly recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken because it has so much more flavor and moisture than boneless, skinless chicken. You can substitute with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Rotisserie Chicken Orzo Soup: If you're short on time, you can skip the step of roasting your own chicken (even though you'll be missing out on all of that flavor!). Instead, prepare the soup with about 2 cups of rotisserie chicken or other pre-cooked chicken.
- This soup doesn't have a strong lemony taste at all. I didn't want a "lemon soup" -- I just wanted a classic chicken soup with a slight touch of fresh lemon. If you prefer a stronger lemon taste, you can add the juice from two lemons, as well as the zest from one lemon.
- You can swap out the orzo pasta and use a similar small shaped pasta like ditalini, acini de pepe, or orecchiette.
- If you don't care for the flavor of fresh dill, you can substitute with chopped fresh parsley, additional thyme, or just about any other herbs that you like. Rosemary, oregano or basil would also be tasty!
- Add extra chicken broth or water, as necessary, to thin the soup to reach your desired consistency. As written, this recipe yields a pretty thick soup.
- The total amount of salt that you need for the soup will depend on personal preference, as well as on the saltiness of your broth. I highly recommend using plenty of seasoning. There's nothing worse than a bland soup, so don't be too cautious with the salt and pepper.
- Add baby spinach to your soup at the very end. The spinach will wilt almost instantly, and will add a nice green touch to the broth.
More chicken soup recipes that you might enjoy:
Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (about 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 lemons, divided
- 2 onions, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth (or more, as needed, to thin the soup)
- ¾ cup dry orzo
- 1 ½ cups water
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
ROAST THE CHICKEN:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Thinly slice 2 of the lemons and 1 onion.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Arrange lemon slices and onion slices on the baking sheet.
- Rub chicken with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place chicken (skin-side up) on top of the sliced lemons and onions.
- Roast chicken for 45 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Allow chicken to cool enough so that you can handle it, and then remove the meat from the skin and bones. Chop or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
PREPARE THE SOUP:
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 diced onion and the minced garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften (about 3 minutes).
- Add chicken broth, water, carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes). Stir in cooked chicken, orzo, and the juice from the remaining lemon. Simmer, uncovered, until the orzo is tender (about 10-12 minutes). Stir occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick.
- Remove bay leaf. Season soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in fresh dill.
- Serve immediately, or allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (or in the freezer for up to 3 months).
Notes
- The roasted lemon chicken is worth the extra step! It's so good, in fact, that you might just want to eat the chicken on its own for dinner! Roasting the chicken breast over lemon and onion just adds another layer of flavor to the soup.
- I highly recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken because it has so much more flavor and moisture than boneless, skinless chicken. You can substitute with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Rotisserie Chicken Orzo Soup: If you're short on time, you can skip the step of roasting your own chicken (even though you'll be missing out on all of that flavor!). Instead, prepare the soup with about 2 cups of rotisserie chicken or other pre-cooked chicken.
- This soup doesn't have a strong lemony taste at all. I didn't want a "lemon soup" -- I just wanted a classic chicken soup with a slight touch of fresh lemon. If you prefer a stronger lemon taste, you can add the juice from two lemons, as well as the zest from one lemon.
- You can swap out the orzo pasta and use a similar small shaped pasta like ditalini, acini de pepe, or orecchiette.
- If you don't care for the flavor of fresh dill, you can substitute with chopped fresh parsley, additional thyme, or just about any other herbs that you like. Rosemary, oregano or basil would also be tasty!
- Add extra chicken broth or water, as necessary, to thin the soup to reach your desired consistency. As written, this recipe yields a pretty thick soup.
- The total amount of salt that you need for the soup will depend on personal preference, as well as on the saltiness of your broth. I highly recommend using plenty of seasoning. There's nothing worse than a bland soup, so don't be too cautious with the salt and pepper.
- Add baby spinach to your soup at the very end. The spinach will wilt almost instantly, and will add a nice green touch to the broth.
Jill Mallory
Hi Blair. Looks delicious! Just wondering if rice could be substituted for the orzo to make it gluten free? If so, how much would you suggest?
Blair
Hi, Jill! Yes, I think that would be fine. The rice will need longer to cook, so I would keep that in mind. I would also add a little bit more broth or water with rice, since the rice will probably absorb more. Maybe use 2/3 cup - 3/4 cup of rice and an extra 1-2 cups of broth/water. Enjoy!! 🙂