Soup

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Greek lemon chicken orzo soup is THE recipe you need for a boost of healthy, hearty comfort! This nutritious soup is like a hug in a bowl, full of wholesome simple ingredients – let your Greek mama take care of you

  • Serves 4
  • Prep 10 minutes
  • Cook 40 minutes
  • Total 50 minutes
Jump to the recipe
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is THE recipe you need for a boost of healthy, hearty comfort! This nutritious soup is like a hug in a bowl, full of wholesome simple ingredients – let your Greek mama take care of you.

I have just come back from a quick visit to Greece and once again I am struck by how deeply ingrained the combo of lemon, chicken and orzo is in the nation’s soul.

My mom made us this Lemon Chicken Orzo soup throughout my childhood and frequently served on a Monday. Why Mondays? Because roast chicken dinner was a weekend staple and this soup is a great way to make leftovers stretch further.

This wholesome soup is light yet comforting and just as delicious as I remember – I am sure you will also fall in love with it!

Chicken Orzo Soup Ingredients

  • Orzo: this small rice or barley shaped pasta (kritharaki) is used in many Greek recipes and I always, always have packs in my pantry. Orzo is usually cooked in broth or in sauces, absorbing the flavors of the dish (as in reader favorite Cajun Chicken Orzo recipe).
  • Chicken: skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs (bone-in ideally) cook in the broth. You can also use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken meat.
  • The vegetables: onions, carrots, celery, leeks and plenty of minced garlic.
  • Olive oil and butter to sauté our veggies.
  • Chicken broth: homemade or store-bought chicken broth. Alternatively you can use a stock cube or stockpot.
  • Lemon juice: Greek dishes are often served with lemon wedges on the side. Lemon juice and zest adds a bright note to this soup without taking it all the way into avgolemono territory (which is even MORE lemony).
  • Chopped parsley for a splash of green or you can use chopped dill if you are a fan.
Ingredients for Lemon Chicken Orzo soup, labelled

How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the diced onion, leek, carrots and celery and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
sauteing vegetables in a Dutch oven as soup base
  1. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until you have a gentle simmer and add the chicken breasts. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
adding chicken breast to simmering broth to make soup
  1. Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a bowl. Rest for a few minutes then slice or shred.
removing cooked chicken breast from soup with tongs (left), slicing cooked chicken (right)
  1. Add the orzo, shredded chicken and lemon juice to the broth and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring once in a while, or until the orzo is cooked but still has a bit of a “bite” to it (al dente).
adding orzo to a pot of simmering lemon chicken soup
  1. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges and some crusty bread to mop up every last drop of deliciousness!

Recipe Notes

  • Storing: chicken orzo soup will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. The orzo absorbs a lot of the broth as it is stored so you will need to add some hot water or extra broth when reheating the soup.
  • Freezing: soups with pasta are not good freezing candidates. You can freeze the soup without adding the orzo and add it when reheating however.
  • Use skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts if preferred. Bone-in thighs require slightly longer cooking but add extra flavor!

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HAVE YOU MADE MY LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP RECIPE? Please leave a rating, share a photo on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day! If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer them quickly.

Recipe

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Greek lemon chicken orzo soup is THE recipe you need for a boost of healthy, hearty comfort! This nutritious soup is like a hug in a bowl, full of wholesome simple ingredients – let your Greek mama take care of you.

  • Serves 4
  • Prep 10 minutes
  • Cook 40 minutes
  • Total 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion (, finely diced)
  • 2 sticks celery (, finely diced)
  • 2 carrots (, finely diced)
  • 1 leek (, white and light green parts only, finely diced)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 cups (1 1/2 liters) chicken broth
  • 3 large chicken breasts (, skinless and boneless)
  • 1 cup (200g) orzo
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
  • 2 tbsp parsley (, chopped or to taste)
  • 1 lemon (zest only (optional))
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

  1. 1

    Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the diced onion, leek, carrots celery and salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

  2. 2

    Pour the chicken broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until you have a gentle simmer and add the chicken breasts. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

  3. 3

    Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a bowl. Rest for a few minutes then slice or shred.

  4. 4

    Add the orzo, chicken and lemon juice to the broth and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked but still has a bit of a "bite" to it.

  5. 5

    Have a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon zest if using. Serve with extra lemon wedges and some crusty bread to mop up every last drop of deliciousness!

Notes

Storing: This lemon chicken orzo soup will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. The orzo absorbs a lot of the broth as it is stored so you will need to add some hot water or extra broth when reheating the soup. Freezing: soups with pasta are not good freezing candidates. You can freeze the soup without adding the orzo and add it when reheating however.

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • Garlic Crusher
  • Vegetable chopper
  • Microplane Zester

Nutrition

  • Calories482 kcal
  • Carbohydrates42 g
  • Protein49 g
  • Fat13 g
  • Saturated Fat4 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat2 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat5 g
  • Trans Fat0.1 g
  • Cholesterol116 mg
  • Sodium918 mg
  • Potassium1214 mg
  • Fiber3 g
  • Sugar5 g
  • Vitamin A5783 IU
  • Vitamin C13 mg
  • Calcium65 mg
  • Iron3 mg

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