Healthy and budget friendly, this lemon chicken orzo soup uses everyday ingredients to make something truly incredible. It’s bright and cozy in every way!
This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is quickly becoming a new favorite in my house! It’s easy to make, requires just pantry staples, keeps well, and freezes beautifully. What’s not to love?
It has all the cozy, feel-good comfort as classics like ike Greek Avgolemono (chicken and rice soup) and Persian Soupe Jo (chicken and barley soup). The secret to these Mediterranean favorites? A good hit of fresh lemon juice.
That citrusy zing balances the richness of the chicken and brings all the flavors to life. Add in tender chicken breasts, plenty of vegetables, warming spices, fresh herbs, and orzo pasta, and you’ve got a hearty, feel-good bowl that works for cozy weeknight dinners or quick workday lunches.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All of the ingredients for this lemon chicken orzo soup are easy to find. You’ll need:
- Extra virgin olive oil: I like a medium-intensity EVOO here, like our rich and mildly peppery Italian Nocellara.
- Veggies: Onion, celery, carrots, frozen peas, and green onions.
- Garlic: Adds a peppery kick.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are lighter, cook quickly, and are easy to shred. You can use other parts of the chicken, just be sure to cook to 165°F.
- Chicken stock: Use homemade or a low-sodium store bought variety.
- Spices: Dried oregano, turmeric, red pepper flakes (or use Aleppo pepper for a milder option.)
- Parsley: Substitute with cilantro, mint, or dill.
- Uncooked orzo pasta: Orzo is a small pasta. It will cook in the chicken broth.
- READ MORE: All About Orzo.
- Lemon: Opt for untreated lemons if you can, as you’ll use both the zest and the juice. Lime would also work here, the soup will just be even brighter.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Learning how to make lemon chicken orzo soup isn’t much different from other chicken soup recipes! Simply chop and saute your veggies, add the chicken, stock, and orzo, then finish it with herbs, and lemon:
- Get ready. Chop 1 yellow onion and 2 celery stalks. Peel and slice 2 carrots into 1/4-inch rounds. Mince 3 garlic cloves.
- Soften the vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the veggies have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Poach the chicken. Add 2 chicken breasts, 4 cups chicken stock, and 2 cups water. Season with 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and another dash of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until the chicken is nearly fully cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon out any foam that bubbles to the top of the cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, get your finishing touches ready. Zest and juice 2 lemons. Trim and chop 2 green onions. Ready yourself 1/2 cup of chopped parsley.
- Cook the orzo. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate for now. To the pot, add 3/4 cup orzo and 1 cup frozen peas. Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil.
- Shred the chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts into smaller pieces. Add the shredded chicken to the pot and cook until the orzo is tender (al dente), about 8 minutes longer.
- Finish and serve. Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon juice and zest, green onion, and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Make Ahead Tips
This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is perfect for meal prep! If you’re making it ahead, I recommend cooking the orzo separately. It tends to absorb the broth and become mushy over time. Just boil the orzo on its own, then stir it into the soup right before serving—or cook it in advance and store it separately in the fridge.
What to Serve with Chicken Orzo Soup
This soup is filling enough to stand on its own, but a salad is always a welcome addition. Throw one of these together while the soup is bubbling away on the stove:
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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 breast halves)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper)
- 3/4 cup orzo
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped (whites and green parts)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the veggies have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Poach the chicken. Add the chicken, chicken stock, and water. Season with the oregano, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and another dash of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until the chicken is nearly fully cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon out any foam that bubbles to the top of the cooking liquid.
- Cook the orzo. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate for now. To the pot, add the orzo and peas. Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil.
- Shred the chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts into smaller pieces. Add the shredded chicken to the pot and cook until the orzo is tender (al dente), about 8 minutes longer.
- Finish and serve. Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon juice and zest, green onion, and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- Leftovers: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The orzo will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so you will likely need to add some broth when you warm it up. To reheat, simply add it to a saucepan (with more broth or water) and turn the heat up to medium.
- Prep ahead: Cook the orzo separately, then stir it into the soup right before serving—or cook it in advance and store it separately in the fridge. You can also freeze the soup, without the orzo, for up to 3 months, and add the cooked orzo just before serving.
Nutrition
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The recipe calls for two lemons, zest and juice, but you never say when to put them in
Hi, Karen. These are added in the last step: Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon juice and zest, green onion, and fresh parsley. Enjoy.
Healthy and wonderful soup! Can you freeze it after cooking if you cook the orzo separately?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Would this be doable in the crockpot as I have a work carry in I would love to make it for?
That should work just fine. I would recommend cooking the orzo separately and then add it in to warm it up shortly before serving, though. Enjoy!
Absolutely one of my go to recipes .
My husband and I love this soup.
I make it at least once a week .
I made this recipe tonight and doubled it! I omitted the water and subbed in more chicken stock. I only had 2 lemons (not 4) and used the juice and zest from both. I also dod not have chicken breast and subbed in chicken thights instead which worked perfectly! Lastly, I did not have parsley but I had some fresh dill so I added that – it was absolutely delicious! I will make this again and again! Thanks for this easy and adaptable recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! Very helpful!
Will definitely be making this again … but with only one lemon.
It’s soup season and I’m making my way through all of the recipes here!!! This soup is amazing. I appreciate that the recipes on this site are generally simple to make. I love the tanginess of the lemon. Will definitely be making again soon. Thank you!
Yay for soup season!
Refreshing but pleasantly filling!
So I’m allergic to celery I’ve been using male stalks in lue of do you have any other suggestions?
Hi, Teresa. You can simply omit them here if they’re not safe for you to eat. Leeks would also be a good replacement!
I use the stem/stalk of Swiss chard in lieu of celery in soup and it works great.
Making this weekend. Could I use rice instead of orzo? We are gluten free.
You sure can! Enjoy!
This is the best soup recipee i have found so far.
When someone is sick, i always know what soup i will make.
It has so much flavor and its so delicious.
Thank you for posting this recipee.
What is the serving size? Don’t say the portion size. Try this Saturday see how it taste. Can’t wait
Hi, Renee! Once made, this particular recipe can be divided 6 to get the approximate “serving size”. The exact serving size measurement (by grams, cups, etc) is another layer that’s harder for us to precisely calculate at the moment, but we’re working on it!
So good
Chicken turned out super dry. I think I needed better techniques before attempting this one.
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! Better than any I have ever had and so simple! Wow is all I can say! 🥰
We’re so happy to hear you loved it, Bettina!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review :).
Hands down…the best recipe ever! I love the Aleppo pepper!