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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

[heart_this] · Jan 11, 2016 · 30 Comments

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

A quick and easy homemade chicken and orzo soup that is nice, light and satisfying and just packed with the brightness of summer with the fresh lemon, parsley and a hint of tarragon!

With the colder weather I have been thinking about soups more and I thought that I would start out with this nice and hearty, light and bright lemon chicken orzo soup. This soup is essentially a take on a chicken noodle soup using orzo as the ‘noodle’ and it emphasizes brightness by the use of lemon juice and zest along with plenty of fresh parsley. In addition, I like to add a touch of thyme for some earthiness and a bit of tarragon which perfectly complements the bright flavours of the soup and adds a hint of the exotic with its anise-y and vanilla-y undertones! This soup is pure comfort food that is absolutely amazing on a cold winter day, it’s hot, filling and it adds a bit of summery sunshine to your day! What’s even better is that it takes less than 30 minutes to make and it will fit into your New Year’s diet resolutions!
I like to start this soup off with a full chicken to make my own chicken broth and then use the poached chickens meat in the soup itself but it’s also great, and so much quicker and easier to make, with pre-made chicken broth and pre-cooked chicken! Either way you make it, be ready for a blissful experience of light and healthy comfort in a bowl!

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 8(1 cup servings)

A quick and easy homemade chicken and orzo soup that is nice, light and satisfying and just packed with the brightness of summer with the fresh lemon, parsley and a hint of tarragon!

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup orzo (gluten free for gluten free)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon (zest and juice)
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped (optional)
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrot and celery and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  3. Add the chicken broth or stock, chicken and orzo, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the orzo is just tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix in the, lemon juice, zest, tarragon and parsley.
Note: I like to use the chicken from the chicken that I used to make the chicken broth but you could use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken from another dish. If you use fresh chicken, cook it in the pot in some oil before step one.
Option: Mix in 1/4 cup finely grated parmigiano regginao (parmesan) in the last step.
Slow Cooker: Optionally implement step 1, place everything except the orzo, lemon, tarragon and parsley in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the orzo, cooking on high until tender, about 10 minutes, and mixing in the lemon, tarragon and parsley. Another option is to use whole chicken breasts or thighs, placing them in the slow cooker with everything and pulling them out, shredding and returning to the soup when it is done cooking.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 172, Fat 3.2g (Saturated 0.5g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 27mg, Sodium 322mg, Carbs 20.5g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 3.2g), Protein 14.8g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maria says

    January 11, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    Great recipe to keep you warm!

    Reply
  2. naomi {@bakersroyale} says

    January 11, 2016 at 3:02 pm

    I need a huge pot of this – so comforting and good looking.

    Reply
  3. We Are Not Martha says

    January 11, 2016 at 3:05 pm

    What a beautiful soup! And so, so perfect for this super chilly January day!

    Sues

    Reply
  4. Heather Christo says

    January 11, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    perfect cold weather dinner!

    Reply
  5. Poshnessary com says

    January 11, 2016 at 8:16 pm

    Love this. Have to try it

    Kisses from http://www.poshnessary.com ❤

    Reply
  6. Julie Wampler says

    January 12, 2016 at 12:57 am

    Love that you added orzo in this for a spin on the classic!!

    Reply
  7. Anabelle says

    January 12, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Perfect soup! Reminds me of summer :)))

    Reply
  8. marla {Family Fresh Cooking} says

    January 12, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    Healthy comfort food, I love it!

    Reply
  9. cbhourican says

    January 13, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    I love the flavor! I think I may have done something wrong, since it turned out to be a pretty thick broth. Shoot!

    Reply
  10. kevin says

    January 13, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    cbhourican: When you say thick, do you mean that there was a lot of ingredients compared to broth or that the broth itself had a thick consistency?

    Reply
  11. Leigh Wheeler says

    January 14, 2016 at 3:38 am

    Had it tonight! It was really good. Loved the lemon and the orzo. It was a good change from the usual chicken soup.

    Reply
  12. kevin says

    January 14, 2016 at 11:43 pm

    Leigh Wheeler: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  13. Gillie says

    January 20, 2016 at 10:26 pm

    Absolutely delicious! Enjoyed by both of us and tonight the other one is out for dinner so guess who gets to eat the leftovers ????
    I cooked the orzo separately and poured the soup over it. Do not leave out the tarragon, it's terrific in there!

    Reply
  14. kevin says

    January 21, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Gillie: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I love using the tarragon in this soup!

    Reply
  15. Unknown says

    January 18, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    One of my favorite soups. So good and great alone or with a half of sandwich on a cold day.

    Reply
  16. Lynette says

    January 19, 2017 at 1:41 am

    Two questions…do you think this soup would freeze ok? Also, I happen to have fresh cilantro on hand rather than parsley. Would it completely change the taste to sub in cilantro instead of parsley (realizing that they both have a different flavor, obviously!)? Thanks!

    Reply
  17. kevin says

    January 19, 2017 at 2:14 pm

    Lynette: This soup freezes well and I think that the cilantro version would be amazing!

    Reply
  18. Stephanie Burroughs says

    January 21, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    When do I add the tarragon

    Reply
  19. kevin says

    January 22, 2017 at 2:29 pm

    Stephanie Burroughs: You add it in the last step with the lemon and parsley; I updated the recipe!

    Reply
  20. Unknown says

    January 25, 2018 at 11:05 pm

    Did you use fresh or dried herbs?

    Reply
  21. Unknown says

    January 25, 2018 at 11:06 pm

    Did you use fresh or dried herb?

    Reply
  22. kevin says

    January 25, 2018 at 11:12 pm

    Unknown: I use fresh but dried should be ok.

    Reply
  23. Anonymous says

    February 11, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    I made this with gluten free orzo and substituted green onions for regular because I needed to use them up. I used dried thyme, maybe 1/4 of tsp. It came out great!! Absolutely love the lemon!!

    Reply
  24. Yana says

    November 4, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    Thank you for this recipe! I made this soup more than 5 times now and just love it, very quick and delicious and light!!!! Instead of fresh veggies, I use a frozen pack and a half of celery, chopped onions and carrots to save even more time. Thanks again,

    Reply
  25. storeebachs says

    January 7, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    I made this with dry herbs, sea salt, a tsp of grated pecorino Romano and two tbsp of butter right in the pot. It is delish! Can’t forget the loaf of Italian bread with butter on the side. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Maria S. says

    November 11, 2019 at 8:24 am

    Made this delicious & comforting soup a couple of weeks ago. It was exactly what my family needed as we all had caught a cold and this helped us feel alot better. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Teri Kavakos says

      April 30, 2020 at 5:50 pm

      I have made lots of your recipes and recommended many people to your site. This soup is divine!!!!
      Thank you so much.

      Reply
  27. Josie Hobbs says

    January 18, 2021 at 3:36 am

    Love, love, love this soup. Big hit with family and so easy to make. Adding lemon and zest is the key to brightening the soup. Orzo was such a nice change from using noodles.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. From the Front Porch – The Crowned Goat says:
    March 20, 2020 at 6:50 am

    […] 03/26 – Thursday – Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup  […]

    Reply
  2. From the Front Porch says:
    March 19, 2021 at 5:00 am

    […] 03/25 Thursday: Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup  […]

    Reply

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