This post contains affiliate links.
Our easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe is so flavorful and hearty, and tastes so fresh. It's packed with veggies and I love serving it with homemade breadsticks.
I'm Not Saying This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Can Solve All Your Problems, But It's a Good Start.
I'm Not Saying This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Can Solve All Your Problems, But It's a Good Start.Let me just say, this lemon chicken orzo soup is AMAZING. I first shared this recipe as part of my winter macro e-cookbook (it's full of healthy, high-protein recipes). But it's been so popular there that I've decided to share it with all of our TBFS readers. It's one of those healthy recipes the whole family will love, and you can't beat it at 35 grams of protein per serving! I would really eat this any time of year; it's just so good!
We enjoy chicken orzo soup with homemade breadsticks or some artisan bread.
Want more healthy, high protein recipes? Try Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Protein Banana Bread, Honey Mustard Chicken, or Mediterranean Meatball Bowl!
How to make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup:
Sauté Vegetables: Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for several minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Cook Chicken: Add chicken, Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes (or until chicken reaches 160°F). Remove chicken to a plate, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest before chopping in pieces.
Finish Soup: Stir in orzo and cook for 8 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove to low and stir in lemon juice, zest, cream, parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper. Return chicken to the pot. Taste and add additional seasonings or bouillon if needed.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: chop the vegetables beforehand and keep in an airtight container in the fridge to make the prep of orzo soup go quicker.
To Freeze: I recommend freezing the lemon chicken soup base, just before adding the orzo (so the noodles don't taste mushy when reheated). Transfer soup base to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat on the stove and add orzo, cooking until tender. Stir in lemon juice, zest, cream, parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper
More Soups to Try:
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Creamy Zuppa Toscana
- Taco Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, (20 grams)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup onion, , diced, (about 1 small onion)
- 1 cup carrots, , diced, (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup celery, , diced, (about 2 ribs)
- 3 cloves garlic, , minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 liters
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, (680 grams)
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta, (200 grams)
- 1 lemon, , juice and zest
- 1/3 cup heavy cream*, slightly warmed (80ml)
- salt and pepper, , to taste
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, , Italian (15 grams)
Instructions
- Sauté Veggies: Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, carrots, and celery then sauté for several minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken, Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes (or until chicken reaches 160 degrees F).
- Chop chicken: Remove chicken to a plate, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest before chopping in pieces.
- Stir in orzo and cook for 8 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Finish soup: Reduce heat to low and stir in lemon juice, zest, cream, parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the pot. Taste the soup and add additional seasonings or bouillon if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
I see the chicken bouillon paste in the ingredients but don’t see anything about adding it in the instructions. Do you just add it with the dried spices? Thanks for your help!
Good catch! Yes, add the bouillon paste when you add the chicken broth so it dissolves into the soup. You can also wait and add it later to taste, but adding it with the broth works great.
We had this last night. Delicious. So easy to make especially with already chopped up onions, celery and carrots from the grocery. Made a lot and there are only 2 of us. I am freezing the rest and hope orzo doesn’t turn to mush.
I made this tonight and was absolutely blown away! I mean, hello flavor! The lemon and herb 🌿 combination is phenomenal! This soup just makes you excited about the next bite! And then, a piece of crusty bread 🥖 OMG ! One of my new favorites. Thanks 🙏🏼 again for yet another amazing recipe Lauren Allen.
Yum – this one is a true favorite for me. And its healthy too! I make this at least once a month. I often turn to this recipe when I need to bring a meal to someone, and I definitely make a double batch so that we get some as well.
Perfect. My husband and I both loved it, it was simple to make and packed with flavor. Hearty but bright enough for a summer soup. Definitely saving this one to make again!
This soup is so good!! I don’t even like carrots… or celery… or even chicken all that much for that matter (don’t ask me why I decided to make carrot, chicken, celery soup 😆) but it was DELICIOUS!! Slam dunk Lauren
Also, cooking stresses me out and this was pretty easy so A+
This soup is light and delicious. My husband and I both loved it!
I am a soup snob and this is hands down one of the best soups I have ever eaten!!
I love the lemon chicken orzo soup, I believe I have one container left in the freezer