Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Bright lemon, tender chicken, and soft orzo in a creamy, savory broth; this lemon chicken orzo soup hits that cozy-but-fresh sweet spot. Made in one-pot in about 30 minutes, it’s comfort food that doesn’t drag you down!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, small diced
- 2 medium carrot, small diced
- 2 celery stalks, small diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric (for color, see notes)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) trimmed and cut into quarters)
- ¾ cup uncooked orzo
To Add at the End
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)
- ¼ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Cook the Veggies: Heat olive oil and butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, lemon zest, and turmeric, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the Flour: Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute, until a paste forms and the flour is absorbed. It will look pasty, that’s okay!
- Add the Stock and Chicken: Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring to avoid lumps. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Nestle in the raw chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the Orzo: Stir in the orzo and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes, or until orzo is tender, stirring occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking to the pot.
- Dice or Shred the Chicken: Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred or dice into bite size pieces. Add back to the pot.
- Finish: Stir in the cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan, stirring to combine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes more to warm through. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon as needed. Top with chopped dill or parsley if that’s your thing!
Notes
- Turmeric: A tiny bit of turmeric will give the soup a soft yellow “lemony” color. It’s completely optional, but I do personally like it for that reason. Just go super easy with it, as too much will make the soup bitter.
- Lemon: When I tested this, I tried adding the lemon early and at the end. Finishing with lemon makes the whole soup taste cleaner and brighter, so I never add it before the orzo goes in. If you like a lot of lemon flavor, add more than 2 tablespoons. If you want it subtler, go for 1 tablespoon.
- Leftovers: This soup makes great leftovers, but it does thicken a lot due to the flour and orzo. Just add a splash of stock or water when warming it back up and you'll be good to go!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 6) | Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3788IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg
