Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
A little lemon at the end gives this chicken soup a bright, welcoming flavor. The orzo makes each spoonful satisfying, with tender chicken and vegetables throughout the broth. Ladle it into bowls while it is hot and enjoy a simple dinner that feels thoughtfully finished.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American · Greek · Mediterranean
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Soften the soup base
Sauté the finely chopped celery and carrots with onion in butter and oil before adding the garlic and flour.
2. Stir the orzo often
Keep the lid off while the orzo cooks and stir fairly often because the pasta can stick to the pot bottom.
3. Finish the chicken in pieces
Lift out the cooked chicken, cut it up and return it to the pot before adding lemon and parsley.
Get to know the ingredients
Uncooked orzo
Add dry orzo after the chicken's first simmer. It cooks directly in the soup rather than in a separate pan.
Lemon juice
Add the lemon at the end and taste. The directions allow more juice if you prefer a stronger lemon flavor.
Chicken broth
If you're sensitive to salt, you can use low-sodium chicken broth in the soup.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Parsley and seasoning
Stir in the parsley with the lemon juice, then taste for salt and pepper and serve the soup immediately.
A little more help as you go
Dissolve the flour
Stir the broth into the cooked flour until it dissolves before adding the seasoning and chicken breasts to the pot.
Leftover soup thickens
Orzo absorbs broth as it sits. Try adding more chicken broth to leftovers if they need loosening.
A few questions you might have
Can I use chicken thighs?
You can use chicken thighs instead of breasts. Add them at the chicken stage before the first simmer.
How can I check the chicken?
Use an instant-read thermometer and check for 165°F in the chicken, since it can move quickly from undercooked to overcooked.
Does the lid stay fully closed?
Leave it slightly open for the first chicken simmer. Remove the lid entirely once you add the orzo.
When does Italian seasoning go in?
Add it with the chicken after the broth has dissolved the flour, then bring the soup to a boil.
Should the garlic cook as long as the vegetables?
The garlic joins after the vegetable sauté and cooks about thirty seconds, then the flour cooks for another minute.
Any more cooking tips?
You can sub the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you prefer. Chicken is safe to eat at 165F and can go from undercooked to overcooked quickly, so I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer whenever cooking chicken so you’re not guessing. Use low-sodium chicken broth if you’re sensitive to salt. You may need to add more chicken broth to leftovers as the orzo soaks it up. This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
