This lemon chicken orzo soup is bright, cozy, and always gets thumbs up from my 4-year-old daughter. Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe, and it’s become one of our all-time family favorites.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Recipes With Orzo
I make this lemon chicken orzo soup on a regular basis, especially in winter, and every single time, my family practically inhales it. It’s also one of those soups I make for a friend or family member who needs a little care and nurturing.
It’s a little bit creamy from the Parmesan and the starch in the orzo, with that lovely, bright hit of lemon that keeps it from feeling heavy. The broth is rich and full of umami from chicken stock and sautéed veggies — sweet onions, carrots, celery — and it gets an aromatic lift from fresh herbs if you want to toss them in.
I often use leftover roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken to keep things simple, but you can cook fresh chicken right in the soup. One batch makes enough to feed my family of four with leftovers. Pro tip: undercook the orzo just a bit, because it keeps soaking up the broth as it sits.
Nutrition-wise, it’s got good protein, some veggies, and that soul-soothing quality only a big pot of homemade soup can deliver.
👩🍳 You might also like garlic chicken soup, chicken lentil soup, fall-off-the-bone chicken soup, chicken potato soup, paleo chicken tortilla soup, and check out these other soup recipes with chicken, shredded chicken recipes, or these winter soups. You may also like this high-protein butternut squash soup.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this lemon chicken orzo soup recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Base veggies: onion (sweetness and depth), carrot (mild sweetness), celery (savory backbone), and garlic (flavor boost).
- Fats: Olive oil + Butter (richness and aroma).
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and optional turmeric (gives that gorgeous yellow color).
- Lemon: Zest and juice for brightness.
- Broth: Chicken stock or homemade broth (the heart of the soup). I often use stock cubes when low on broth.
- Protein: Shredded cooked chicken or raw chicken breast. Check out my shredded chicken in a slow cooker.
- Pasta: Orzo, also known as risoni, or you can sub with other small-shaped pasta. Learn about orzo here. If you have any leftover, you may also want to try this Marry Me chicken orzo bake.
- Cheese: Parmesan (creaminess and umami).
- Herbs: Dill, parsley, chives (freshness at the end), feel free to omit or just use one of these.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make chicken orzo soup.
- Dice up vegetables, garlic, and herbs.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a big pot.
- Sauté onion, carrot, and celery with salt until golden and soft.
- Add garlic, lemon zest, bay leaves, turmeric, dry orzo, and all the broth.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the orzo is just al dente (about 8 minutes). While cooking, shred the chicken, grate Parmesan, and squeeze lemon juice.
- Stir in chicken, Parmesan, and lemon juice.
- Adjust salt, pepper, or extra lemon if you like.
- Finish with fresh herbs and serve with extra lemon wedges and Parmesan.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- Parmesan rind: Toss it in while simmering—huge flavor payoff.
- Make it lighter: Use more veggies and less orzo.
- Make it heartier: Add extra chicken or even chickpeas.
- Kid-friendly: Serve herbs on the side if your kids are picky.
- Undercook the orzo just a bit, because it keeps soaking up the broth as it sits and will continue to soften and puff up.
- Throw in extra veggies: Peas, diced asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower will work well.
- Storage Tips: Our leftovers don’t last very long, but you can store this soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of broth or water since the orzo will thicken the soup. It also freezes well (though the pasta gets softer).
- Make-ahead tips: Obviously, as with most soups, this is a great make-ahead recipe. But, if you just want to do a few steps early on, you can prep the veggies and shred the chicken ahead. Store separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can even cook the broth with veggies and freeze, then reheat and add orzo and chicken when ready.
Serving Suggestions
To be honest, you don’t really need a lot more to go with this soup. Personally, I love a drizzle of chili oil or some chili, which I don’t add to the soup as I make it kid-friendly. You can also serve it with a chunk of crusty bread or a side of garlic toast. For a lighter meal, serve it with a crisp green salad. Don’t skip a sprinkle of fresh herbs and extra lemon at the table — it brightens up everything.
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion about 6 oz / 170 grams, finely chopped
- 1 medium-large carrot about 4 oz / 115 grams, diced
- 1.5 celery stalks about 3 oz / 85 grams, diced
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- Zest of 1/2 lemon for larger lemons, zest 2/3 to 1 lemon if using smaller lemons
- 2–3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder optional
- 6.5 cups chicken stock 1.5 liters
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta 6 oz / 170 grams
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, see notes for using raw chicken 8 oz / 225 grams
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 3 oz / 85 grams
- Juice of 1/2 lemon about 2 tablespoons, plus extra to taste, see notes
- Extra salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh dill parsley, and chives, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Season with ⅓ teaspoon salt (or 1 teaspoon if using low-sodium stock). Cook 6–7 minutes until golden and softened.
- Add garlic, lemon zest, bay leaves, turmeric, orzo, and all the chicken stock. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for about 8 minutes until orzo is just al dente. I suggest undercooking orzo by a minute as it will continue to absorb liquid and soften after cooking.
- While cooking, shred the chicken, grate Parmesan and squeeze lemon juice.
- Stir in shredded chicken, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Warm through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. If you like it thinner, add a splash of hot water or broth. If you like it more tangy, add a bit more lemon juice.
- Finish with fresh herbs and extra pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and more Parmesan.
Notes
- Lemon: If using a smaller lemon, zest 2/3 to 1 lemon but if using a larger lemon, you only need to zest 1/2 of it. Lemon juice wise, I suggest adding two tablespoons to begin with, then taste and add more to your liking it. I like it quite lemony so I will often add 3-4 tablespoons but it’s better to add gradually. If you add too much and find it too lemony, simply add more stock.
- Parmesan rind: Toss it in while simmering—huge flavor payoff.
- Make it lighter: Use more veggies and less orzo.
- Make it heartier: Add extra chicken or even chickpeas.
- Kid-friendly: Serve herbs on the side if your kids are picky.
- Undercook the orzo just a bit, because it keeps soaking up the broth as it sits and will continue to soften and puff up.
- Throw in extra veggies: Peas, diced asparagus, broccoli or cauliflower will work well.
- Storage Tips: Our leftovers don’t last very long but you can store this soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of broth or water since the orzo will thicken the soup. It also freezes well (though the pasta gets softer).
- Make-ahead tips: Obviously, as with most soups, this is a great make-ahead recipe. But, if you just want to do a few steps early on, you can prep the veggies and shred the chicken ahead. Store separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can even cook the broth with veggies and freeze, then reheat and add orzo and chicken when ready.
- Can I use raw chicken? If you’re starting with raw chicken breasts (1 breast) or thighs (3 thighs), slice them into thin pieces so it cooks quickly. Nestle them into the simmering broth right after you add the stock and orzo. Lift the larger pieces out and shred or dice, then stir the meat back into the soup before with Parmesan and lemon juice.
- Can I use rice instead of orzo? Sure — just cook the rice longer until tender. It will thicken the soup a lot as it sits.
- How do I make it dairy-free? Skip the Parmesan or use a dairy-free cheese alternative. Butter is very low in lactose but feel free to use ghee or extra olive oil.
Nutrition
Amazing, thanks Irena, this one has been loved by all.
This is one of my favorite dishes but I hadn’t made it at home until I saw your recipe. So so delicious!!! The lemon is the star of the show here and orzo is so underrated.