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If you’re craving something cozy but not too heavy, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is creamy, comforting, and bright with lemon.
If you’re craving something cozy yet light, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup hits the spot. It’s loaded with tender chicken, hearty veggies, and orzo, plus dill and plenty of lemon to liven it up. A little cream adds just the right amount of richness without weighing it down.
For a complete meal, serve with my Easy Artisan Bread or Dinner Rolls. This is the kind of cozy yet fresh soup that you’ll want to make again and again, especially this time of year.
Contents
What You’ll Need to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Chicken (breasts and/or thighs on bone, with skin) – Adds a rich flavor to the broth and makes the soup hearty and satisfying; thighs are more tender and forgiving, but both work.
- Vegetable oil and butter – To grab and jump; the combo adds flavor and helps prevent burning.
- Onion, carrots, celery and garlic – The classic soup base that gives depth and savory flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Slightly thickens the broth.
- Chicken broth – The backbone of the soup, adding depth as it simmers.
- Orzo – Makes the soup hearty and satisfying; cook until tender.
- Thick cream – Adds a bit of richness and gives the broth its creamy finish.
- Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice – Brighten it up and balance the richness.
- Herbs – Bay leaf adds depth as the soup simmers, while dill adds a fresh, bright finish.
- Access the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Season the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Sear the chicken. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the chicken skin side down and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. (Don’t throw the flavorful fat into the pan.)
Step 2: Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter into the chicken fat in the pan, then add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about 1 minute until lightly browned.
Pro tip: Keep the garlic moving and cook until fragrant. If it browns, it becomes bitter and can overpower the delicate flavors of lemon and dill in the soup.
Step 3: Let the soup simmer. Add the stock and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, then add the bay leaf and return the chicken and its juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes for breasts or 20 minutes for thighs.
Pro tip: Maintain a gentle simmer rather than a boil once you return the chicken to the pot. This slower cooking method ensures that the meat remains tender and juicy.
Step 4: Shred the chicken. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board, then discard the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Step 5: Cook the orzo. Bring the soup to a gentle boil again and add the orzo. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until pasta is al dente (check package for timing).
Step 6: Finish the soup. Stir in the cream, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the shredded chicken, and simmer until heated through. Discard the bay leaf, then add the lemon zest and dill and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Step 7: Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. The soup can be made by adding the orzo and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Pro tip: The orzo will continue to absorb the liquid while the soup sits. If you have leftovers, you may need to add a little broth or water when reheating to return it to soup consistency.
ORzo Chicken Lemon Soup Video Tutorial
More Chicken Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Creamy Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup
This recipe for Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup comes together in one pot with tender chicken, orzo, and a bright, lemony broth.
Ingredients
- 1¾ kg bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed of excess skin or fat
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into ½ inch (13 mm) pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch (13 mm) pieces
- 2 celery ribs, cut into ½ inch (13 mm) pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 pints (8 cups) chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1¼ cups orzo
- 1 cup thick cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1½ teaspoons dried)
Instructions
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Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside (do not throw the flavorful fat into the pan).
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Add the butter to the pan and let it melt into the chicken fat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not brown. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and no dry flour bits remain, about 1 minute.
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Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaf and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through – about 15 minutes for breasts and 20 minutes for thighs.
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Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the skin and bones, then shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
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Bring the soup to a gentle boil again and add the orzo. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick, until al dente (check package for timing). Stir in the cream, lemon juice and shredded chicken and simmer for a few more minutes until everything is heated through. Fish out and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon zest and dill, then taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper and lemon juice if necessary.
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Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Remarks
Preparation/freezing instructions: The soup can be prepared up to step 3 (before adding the orzo) and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Store the cooked chicken separately and add it just before serving. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a gentle boil, add the orzo and finish as directed. If you’re not serving all the soup at once, cook the orzo separately and add it as needed so it doesn’t absorb too much broth.
Nutritional information
Per serving (6 servings)Calories: 631kilocaloriesCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 41gFat: 35gSaturated fat: 15gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 870mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional information on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. Data is calculated via an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these numbers should only be considered estimates. Various factors such as types of produce or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and how ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information of a given recipe. Additionally, different online calculators provide different results based on their own nutritional data sources and algorithms. To get the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your favorite nutritional calculator.
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