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Easy one pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a cozy soup recipe with shredded chicken, vegetables, fresh lemon, small orzo pasta, all inside a lemony chicken broth. Simple to make in one pan – where even the chicken cooks in the same pot – and it’s a soup that the whole family can enjoy for dinner.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
This one pot lemon chicken orzo soup is pure comfort food for a chilly day! Soup always hits the spot during these cooler fall and winter months. This delicious soup has a lemony broth with fresh lemon juice flavor, shredded tender chicken, tender orzo pasta, all in a perfectly seasoned chicken broth base.
The best part is that it all cooks in one pot – on the stove top – even the chicken cooks inside the soup. Clean-up is a breeze!
It’s the perfect soup for those dreaded sick days or for a cozy family dinner at home. Ladle soup inside soup bowls and garnish with some parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley. It’s something the whole family will love!
Ingredients Needed
- Olive Oil – I use extra-virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil in this recipe.
- Finely Diced Onion – A yellow onion or white onion is the best type of onion to use in this soup.
- Carrots – Use baby carrots and slice them thin or peel and chop carrots.
- Celery
- Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, garlic paste, or chopped garlic from a jar can all be used in this recipe.
- Chicken Broth – I recommend using full salted broth when making soup. Chicken stock is another option as well.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – Do no cook this before. Simply add the raw chicken pieces into the soup pot.
- Fresh Thyme Sprigs – You will find these in the produce area of the store next to the other fresh herbs and dressings.
- Bay Leaf – A dried bay leaf is what you’ll need for this ingredient.
- Kosher Salt – One teaspoon salt (kosher salt) is the preferred salt to use when making soup. It helps elevate all the flavors without making the soup taste salty.
- Black Pepper – One teaspoon pepper to help flavor the soup. My kids don’t love the harsh flavor of pepper so I usually only use 1/2 teaspoon in this soup.
- Orzo Pasta – This is a small rice-shaped pasta. This gets added to the soup pot dry so there is no need to precook it according to package directions beforehand. Whole wheat orzo can be used but just take note that the cook time will be longer (because of the wheat) and it will slightly change the texture and taste of the soup. Whole wheat pasta usually has more chew to it and a heartier nuttier flavor.
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice – Don’t substitute with bottled lemon juice as it just won’t taste the same.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup In One Pot On The Stove Top (Recipe Card Below)
- In a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions and vegetables have softened slightly.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken breasts, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, over medium-high heat or high heat, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred chicken with two forks. Add the shredded chicken and orzo pasta into the soup pot and stir.
- Cook until the orzo pasta is al dente, or softened to your preference, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the soup occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and then serve immediately.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftover soup inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4-5 days.
You can also freeze leftover soup by storing it inside freezer-safe Ziploc bags, or a freezer safe container, for up to 2 months. Let the frozen soup thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating the next day, or you can throw the frozen soup inside the slow cooker and cook it on low heat until it’s warmed through.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Chicken Broth : The recipe calls for 8 cups of broth. Use chicken broth from a carton, a can, or you can also use water + bouillon cubes or paste to make broth to equal 8 cups. Chicken stock is another great option if wanted. Regular salted or reduced-sodium broth can both be used in this recipe with great results – it just depends on dietary restrictions, salt preferences, and what you have on hand. If using reduced-sodium broth, you may want to add 1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) of additional kosher salt to the recipe.
- Raw Chicken Inside The Soup : Yes! The directions are correct when it tells you to put the raw chicken inside the soup pot. It actually yields super tender and really flavorful chicken for this recipe. If the chicken breast pieces are larger in size then I recommend cutting them in half prior to adding them to the soup pot – this will just allow them to cook thoroughly in the cook time given.
- Garnish : The soup looks really pretty with a garnish of fresh lemon slices. It will also add an additional burst of bright and fresh lemon flavor to the soup. Shredded parmesan cheese (freshly grated from a wedge) and chopped parsley are other yummy garnish ideas if wanted.
- Serving Suggestions : We love this easy recipe served with some One Hour Rolls or inside crusty bread bowls. Either pick some up from the grocery store, your local bakery, or try your hand at Homemade Bread Bowls.
More Easy Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Minestrone Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Easy One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Detox Soup
- Cheesy Taco Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Vegetable Beef Noodle Soup
- Creamy Broccoli Wild Rice Soup
- Cream Cheese Chicken Soup
- Easy Hash Brown Potato Soup
Try These Other Fresh Lemon Recipes
- Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
- Lemon Parmesan Chicken
- Lemon Lover’s Layered Cake
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Yogurt Fruit Salad
- Lemon Garlic Salmon
- Lemon Blueberry Delight
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Easy one pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a cozy soup recipe with shredded chicken, vegetables, fresh lemon, small orzo pasta, all inside a lemony chicken broth. Simple to make in one pan – where even the chicken cooks in the same pot – and it's a soup that the whole family can enjoy for dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir until the veggies are softened. About 5 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 small onion, 1 cup diced carrots, 1/2 cup diced celery, 3 cloves garlic
- Increase the stove heat to high. Add the chicken broth, raw chicken breasts, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.8 cups chicken broth, 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 dried bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. * After the simmer time, ensure that the chicken is cooked all the way through to 165℉ before removing it from the pot.
- Remove the chicken from the pot to a plate and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken and dry orzo pasta into the soup.1 cup orzo pasta
- Cook the soup until the orzo pasta is cooked through to your preferred al dente or softer texture. About 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the soup occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving.1 lemon
Notes
Serving Size & Nutrition Information : This soup serves 6 people, which each portion being large, at about 1 3/4 cup per serving. If feeding small kids, you can easily get 8 smaller portions from this soup.
Lemon : Only use a fresh lemon in this recipe. Bottled lemon juice just won’t taste the same.
Chicken : Use two large pieces of chicken breast or equal to about 1 pound of chicken. If the pieces are larger I like to cut each chicken breast into smaller chunks to ensure that it cooks thoroughly in the cook time given. And yes, put the chicken into the soup raw.
Broth : Chicken stock can also be used, water + bouillon is another option, or use chicken paste + water. I suggest and recommend using full salt chicken broth and not the reduced-sodium broth in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1662mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3678IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
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