Lemon Chicken Orzo soup is a delicious, easy, and healthy soup recipe. We love this soup for busy weeknights or for meal prep to eat throughout the week.
Recipe Inspiration
This Lemon Chicken Orzo soup is a spin on traditional chicken noodle soup. With tender orzo pasta, a lemony broth, shredded tender chicken, and hearty vegetables, this soup will be a hit with the whole family.
The soup comes together quickly and is a great meal for using up leftover chicken!
I love making this soup on sick days when you just need pure comfort food. It's also a delicious meal for meal prepping and keeps and reheats well the next day.
For more soup recipes, check out our Wild Rice Mushroom Soup, White Turkey Chili, and Roasted Butternut Squash soups.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Delicious - This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe is so delicious. Each bite is packed with flavor that your family will truly love! It's great year round for weeknight dinners or prepped lunches.
Approachable - This recipe is approachable and is easy to make. You only need a few kitchen tools to make this great recipe.
Easy - This soup is super easy to make for home cooks of any level.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- Olive Oil
- White Onion - Chopped
- Carrots - Chopped
- Celery - Chopped
- Chicken Stock - Or chicken broth
- Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Fresh Rosemary
- Cannellini Beans - Drained
- Orzo - Regular orzo, whole wheat orzo, or any small pasta shape
- Cooked Chicken - Pulled or cut in chunks
- Fresh Spinach - Regular or baby spinach
- Fresh Herbs - For serving
Directions
Let's make this recipe together!
Step 1
Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies start to soften.
Step 2
Add broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Add the orzo and cannellini beans. Cook for 10 minutes or until the orzo is done to your liking.
Step 4
Add the lemon juice, chicken, and spinach. Let cook for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted. Discard rosemary sprig.
Step 5
Serve with fresh herbs. I love fresh parsley, basil, fresh dill, and rosemary in this recipe. I also recommend topping with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
Expert Tips and Tricks
Here are some expert tips to make this delicious lemon chicken orzo soup recipe perfect.
Complete the Meal - Complete the meal with an arugula salad and some crusty fresh bread.
Utilize Leftovers - Use leftover chicken to make this delicious soup recipe. Or, use a shortcut and buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store! I also love adding in any other veggies that might be used up.
Meal Prep - This is a great recipe for meal prep. I love making this at the beginning of the week to enjoy leftover soup for lunches or dinners all week long.
Kitchen Equipment
Here is some kitchen equipment you will need for this recipe. You can find all of these products on Amazon.
Soup Pot - A good quality soup pot is a must for soup season! This one is great quality.
Soup Bowls - These are my favorite soup bowls of all time. We grew up using similar soup bowls at my grandpa's house and I'll always remember them!
Orzo - This is my favorite orzo. I always have some on hand in my pantry!
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Here are some common recipe substitutions and variations for this easy soup recipe.
Cooking Method - I like making this recipe on the stovetop, but you can also make this recipe using an instant pot or a slow cooker.
Veggie Variation - You can add as many other veggies as you like to this soup recipe. This is a great way to add in small bits of vegetables you might have in your fridge to reduce food waste.
Chicken Variation - You can use chicken thighs or skinless chicken breasts in this recipe - whichever you prefer or have on hand will work great. Or, make this recipe vegetarian my removing the chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding lemon juice to soup brightens the flavors of the soup. It's delicious with chicken and vegetable based soups and great for adding tenderness to meals. You can also add lemon zest to soup for the same effect.
You can definitely freeze chicken orzo soup. I recommend freezing the orzo separately since the texture can change significantly in the freezer and be soggy once thawed.
Orzo and small pastas are the best option for pasta in soup. They are great cooked in the soup liquid because they hold all of the flavor of the broth without breaking apart.
Recipe Storage and Reheating
Here are storage and reheating instructions for this recipe.
Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight continuer and eat leftovers within 4-5 days.
Freezer Storage: Freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as instructed below.
Reheating Instructions: The best way to reheat this recipe is to heat in a pot over low heat until warm.
Other Recipes to Try
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 can cannellini beans drained
- 1 cup orzo uncooked
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup cooked pulled chicken
- 2 cups spinach
- Fresh herbs for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies start to soften.
- Add broth, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the orzo and cannellini beans. Cook for 10 minutes or until the orzo is done to your liking.
- Add the lemon juice, chicken, and spinach. Let cook for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted. Discard rosemary sprig.
- Serve with fresh rosemary, Italian parsley, or basil.
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