Looking for a comforting soup recipe? Look no further than this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup packed full of healthy veggies, protein-rich chicken and plenty of flavor. This soup is perfect for those cool fall and winter nights!
Not to toot my own horn or anything but if I were to call myself an expert in any recipe it would be soup. At this point I have almost 50 soup recipes on The Healthy Maven!
As much as I might love summer, I live for the cold months and a warm bowl of soup. It’s my go-to way to feed myself and my family so when soup season rolls around you better bet I show up with new recipes! This lemon orzo chicken soup has quickly become a family favorite. My daughter calls it “baby pasta soup” and I’m not complaining that she’s eating veggies and chicken along with it. Even my baby got in on the fun! Trust me when I say everyone will love this soup.
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – I prefer chicken thighs in this chicken lentil soup recipe as they add more depth of flavor. You could substitute with chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Olive oil -for cooking your chicken + veggies
- Veggies– yellow onion, celery, carrots + garlic
- Chicken broth/stock – can also use beef, veggie stock or even water. Feel free to use low sodium stock if watching sodium levels.
- Dried thyme – for flavor. Feel free to sub in fresh thyme if desired.
- Salt + Pepper – I made suggestions but feel free to add more or less based on flavor and sodium preferences
- Orzo – Orzo is a small pasta that cooks quickly. Orzo means “big rice” in Italian because its shape is similar to rice.
- Lemon – both the zest and the juice. It adds a nice zing that compliments this recipe.
- Fresh parsley – You could skip this or use dried instead.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
STEP 1: COOK CHICKEN
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add your chicken thighs to the pot and brown on each side (5-7 minutes). It’s okay if it’s not cooked all the way through. You just want to brown them. Remove from heat and set aside.
STEP 2: COOK VEGGIES
Add remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to pot and saute your onions until translucent. Add in celery, carrots and garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
STEP 3: SIMMER SOUP
Add your chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper and bring soup to a slow boil. Lower heat to a simmer and add chicken and any juices back into soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
STEP 4: SHRED CHICKEN
Using tongs remove chicken thighs and allow to cool slightly on a cutting board. Once chicken has cooled use two forks to shred chicken and then add back into soup.
STEP 5: COOK ORZO + SERVE
Add orzo and lemon zest and juice to soup and cook for 10-12 minutes or until orzo is cooked. Top soup with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
FAQ
Absolutely! Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts in place of chicken thighs, if desired.
You certainly could but note that amounts and cooking time varies by grain and pasta type so I’d stick to orzo ideally.
Yes! You can sub in fresh thyme for dried thyme (double the amount) and dried parsley for fresh parsley (half the amount) if you’d like.
Totally up to you. I think this tastes delicious on its own but you could also pair it with some toast, a scoop of yogurt on top or even a side salad.
For sure! See storage instructions below.
Storage Instructions
This chicken lemon orzo soup recipe stores great in the fridge or freezer. Store your soup in the fridge for up to one week or store in the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw remove from the freezer several hours before eating and then add soup to a pot and heat to desired temperature. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave.
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Looking for a comforting soup recipe? Look no further than this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup packed full of healthy veggies, protein-rich chicken and plenty of flavor. This soup is perfect for those cool fall and winter nights!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cook
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled + chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- Zest + juice, 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add your chicken thighs to the pot and brown on each side (5-7 minutes total). It’s okay if it’s not cooked all the way through. You just want to brown them. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to pot and saute your onions until translucent.
- Add in celery, carrots and garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
- Add your chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper and bring soup to a slow boil.
- Lower heat to a simmer and add chicken and any juices back into soup.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using tongs remove chicken thighs and allow to cool slightly on a cutting board.
- Add orzo and lemon zest and juice to soup and cook for 10-12 minutes or until orzo is cooked.
- Once chicken has cooled use two forks to shred chicken and then add back into soup.
- Top soup with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
