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5.0 from 252 votes

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

A simple and flavorful recipe that's sure to be a favorite.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups diced carrots about 3-4 medium carrots
  • ½ cup diced celery about 3 ribs
  • ½ cup finely diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 cups chicken broth (I use low-sodium)
  • ¾ cup orzo pasta
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 to 3 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
  • ¼ to ½ to ½ cup fresh lemon juice (see note)
Optional Roux:
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons flour
For Garnish:
  • shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Chopped, fresh parsley

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic, and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have softened and started to turn translucent.
  2. Add the broth, orzo, bay leaf, salt, oregano, basil, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until the orzo is tender.
  3. Optional for slightly thicker soup: stir together the melted butter and flour until smooth. Whisk into soup and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Stir in the chicken and lemon juice and cook until heated through, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove the bay leaf. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve servings of soup with chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese (optional but tasty).

Notes

  • Lemon juice: the amount of lemon juice you add will depend on your taste preference. I suggest starting with 1/4 cup and adding more to taste. Bottled lemon juice may alter the flavor of the soup; I suggest using fresh lemon juice if you can.
  • Optional Add-In: it works really well to stir in several cups of chopped fresh spinach at the end.
  • Orzo: you can add a full cup of orzo pasta for a less brothy soup. I haven't tried subbing rice for the orzo, but I'm guessing it will work just fine.
  • Freezable: I haven't tried freezing this soup. If you want to try, I'd suggest undercooking the orzo just a bit so it doesn't get mushy after freezing and thawing.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 serving Calories 140kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 24mg (8%) Sodium 1152mg (48%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 serving
Calories 140kcal 7%
Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 1152mg 48%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.