Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a vibrant and fresh soup bursting with brilliant lemon essence and tender orzo pasta. A perfect end of summer or crisp fall day soup.
A quick and easy homemade Chicken and Orzo Soup Recipe that’s satisfying yet light. Packed with brightness from fresh lemon, tarragon, thyme, and rosemary. A spin on chicken noodle soup, you’ll find many variations, so popular it’s a mainstay on the Panera Bread’s menu. But we certainly prefer a homemade soup for its freshness, plus we’re in control of the ingredients!
Chef’s Tip: As always we start off roasting our own bird to create a full flavor stock and plenty of flavorful shredded meat. But you can speed the whole process up by using premade chicken broth and a rotisserie (or leftover) chicken. You’ll love it either way!
carte du jour
Is Orzo Pasta?
Orzo (/ˈɔːrzoʊ, ˈɔːrtsoʊ/, Italian: [ˈɔrdzo]; from Italian for ‘barley’, from Latin hordeum), also known as risoni (pronounced [riˈzoːni]; ‘large [grains of] rice’), is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice.
The word “orzo” means “barley” in Italian, but most orzo pasta does not contain barley. Wheat semolina flour is traditionally used to make orzo pasta, it’s a coarse type of flour made from high-protein durum wheat that holds an above-average amount of gluten.
What Does Orzo Pasta Look Like?
Do You Need to Rinse Orzo?
Rinse orzo only if it’s served in a cold salad or baked in the oven. DO NOT RINSE, otherwise, rinsing removes the light coating of starch that helps sauces and seasonings stick to the pasta.
How Do You Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup?
Even though it looks like it might take hours, this lemon chicken soup is really easy to make!
- Saute the veg + herbs in olive oil for 10 minutes.
- Toss in the garlic, lemon quarters and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the stock, shredded chicken, + orzo and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove quartered lemon. Stir in the lemon zest + juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with fresh herbs, sliced lemon and serve with crusty bread + a side salad if desired, the soup does shine on its own though.
Is Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup a Fast Weeknight Meal?
Yes! This soup can be made in about 45 minutes (including prep time) on the stove. I gave 15 minutes prep in the recipe to allow for scrubbing and chopping fresh veg.
Do You Cook Orzo Before Adding to Soup?
No, it cooks in the soup as it simmers, so there’s no need to dirty another pot. If you plan on leftovers, the orzo will swell some so you may need to add some more stock when reheating to achieve proper consistency.
Or if you prefer you can also cook it in chicken stock and add as much or as little as you want to each bowl. This method is also good for meal prep due to the fact you won’t need extra broth when reheating.
Is Orzo Pasta Healthy?
Orzo is commonly made from white flour, but it can be made from whole-grain flour too, making it a healthier pasta option. It’s a good source of carbohydrates, 1 serving (1/2 cup) of orzo is 156 calories and contains 82 grams of carbohydrates and 4.04 grams of fiber.
How Much Does Orzo Make Per Uncooked Cup?
1 cup raw orzo (about 6 oz) will give you approximately 2 cups cooked.
Can I Use Rice Instead of Orzo?
Definitely! You can use rice or any short cut pasta, adjust for cooking time and taste for doneness every few minutes. Also, remember that there will be carryover cooking once removed from the heat.
Which Is Better Orzo or Rice?
Orzo packs twice the protein of brown rice and a few more calories. Low in fat and when cooled, orzo, like all pasta, produces resistant starch, which is a necessary type of fiber.
How Do I Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Creamy like the Original Greek Version?
- Remove the soup from the heat.
- Break 2 large eggs and whisk until frothy.
- Slowly pour in a ladle of warm soup to the eggs, whisking briskly as you pour in a stream. (This tempers the eggs).
- Then slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup pot, stirring constantly as you pour until the soup is creamy and blended.
If you want to learn more about tempering and techniques on how to do it correctly then check out this great video from our friends at Serious Eats!
Tips for Making the Best Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- To speed up this recipe, use pre-shredded chicken, either from a rotisserie chicken, or leftovers. Chances are your deli will also carry shredded chicken too.
- Be sure to use fresh herbs, you’ll find them in the produce section at your local grocer. If you have to sub dried herbs then add a little at a time and taste for flavor.
- This soup is great for leftovers! Take note though, the orzo will soak up more of the broth as it sits, so you might need to add a splash of chicken broth when reheating.
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How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a vibrant and fresh soup bursting with brilliant lemon essence and tender orzo pasta. A perfect end of summer or crisp fall day soup.
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large white onion, topped + skinned + ½ inch dice
- 3 medium carrots, scrubbed + peeled + cut into ½ inch coins
- 2 stalks celery, scrubbed + cut into ½ inch moons
- 1 teaspoon Tarragon, fresh + finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh + finely chopped
- 1 sprig Rosemary, fresh
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed + skinned + finely diced
- 8 cups (2 liters) homemade chicken stock, sub favorite store-bought broth
- 4 cups roasted chicken, white + dark + shredded
- 1 cup (100 grams) tri-colored orzo, sub white orzo
- 2 large ripe lemons, (1) zested + juiced (1) quartered
- Pink Himalayan sea salt + freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
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Heat a heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil and reheat for 30 seconds, then add the onions, carrots, celery, Tarragon, Thyme, and Rosemary. Sweat down for 10 minutes, stirring with a flat bottomed wooden spoon every few minutes.
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Toss in the garlic + quartered lemon and cook until aromatic, about a minute.
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Add the stock, roasted shredded chicken, orzo, and bring to a boil reduce the heat and simmer until the orzo is just tender about 10-15 minutes.
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Remove quartered lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix in the lemon juice, zest. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with fresh herbs, sliced lemon and serve with crusty bread and/or a side salad.
We’re lemon fans and use them in and on so many dishes! If you are too then you’ll enjoy our Heirloom Tomato Tart + Goat Cheese, we cut the fat with a hit of lemon zest and wow it’s amazing!
Lemon also rocks out desserts of all kinds, like our Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake!
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14 comments
Great recipe and your photos are beautful. I’m so looking forward to fall and that transition to soups. Saving this for later as I’m sure it will be a go to recipe for me as I love the traditional Greek Lemon Soup.
Great, Julie! I hope you love it as much as we do 🙂
This soup is amazing and easy to make! I can’t wait to have it tonight!
So excited to hear that you are happy with your results, Tricia! Love the photos too, thank you so much for taking the time to share your results 😀
This looks like comfort in a bowl! I’m always looking for new soup recipes for my winter soup competition with friends. This looks like a winner to me! I’ll be making this soon. I love the idea of thickening it with the eggs too. Mmmm!
Please do share your results if you use this in your winter soup competition, Kendra! If you thicken it with eggs it’s a more traditional Greek soup, thanks so much for visiting 🙂
This looks like such a delicious dish! Unfortunately, I don’t eat chicken… But the tempering trick seems really useful!
If I tried to pull it off and the egg curdles in my soup, do you think that’ll ruin the soup?
Hi, Julie! As long as you follow the directions for tempering then you won’t have to worry about the eggs curdling. Break 2 large eggs and whisk until frothy. Slowly pour in a ladle of warm soup to the eggs, whisking briskly as you pour in a stream. (This tempers the eggs). Then slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup pot, stirring constantly as you pour until the soup is creamy and blended. It will not curdle when following these instructions. IF you did get a curdled soup, instead of having a creamy consistency it would have a somewhat “gritty” texture. certainly safe to eat, but not as pleasant as a creamy style soup.
This looks delicious, I have never had Orzo before but it looks yummy! Thank you for linking up to Foodie Friday!
Orzo is a fabulously versatile pasta, Paula! Thanks so much, so glad that you like the recipe and for hosting a great link party too 🙂
Lemon chicken is one of my favorite recipes, I will keep this for a Crock Pot meal. #trafficjamweekend
Thanks so much, Antionette! 🙂
My family love soul, especially chicken soup. I have to try your recipe it sound yummy. But I have one question if I would eat the leftovers the next day. Would the orzo noodles become soggy?
Hi, Lili! The Orzo does expand but does not become soggy, be sure to use a quality Orzo. You can also cook the orzo separately and add it till heated through. Hope this helps, thanks so much for visiting! 🙂