A light, lemony chicken soup with small orzo pasta, vegetables and tender chicken. You will love this immunity boosting soup! It makes a great freezer friendly meal, just leave out the pasta and add it when you are ready to eat the soup. 

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP 

I am a lover of lemons and a lover of soup. 

I love adding lemon to all kinds of recipes and soups is one of those that I especially love. 

This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is one I make on repeat in the cooler months. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good classic chicken noodle soup but sometimes I want to mix things up. 

One of my all time favorite soups is Avgolemeno which I had when I was in Greece. 

It is a Greek chicken and rice soup with a whole lot of creamy, lemony goodness. 

Today’s Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is similar in some ways.

It mixes small orzo pasta with a lemony chicken broth. 

Many of us get colds this time of year and Chicken Noodle Soup recipes can be a great thing to eat when you are sick. It is perfect for sick days.

The garlic, lemon and chicken broth are a great way to boost your immune system.  

If you like this soup you should also add this Asian Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe and this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup. 

My love for lemon stems back to my childhood. 

My Mom has pictures of me with lemons in my mouth.

I don’t know what it is about tart foods but I love them and lemons are no exception.

Like Mother, like son!

Disclaimer: I am updating this recipe that I first posted back in 2014.

As you can see below Will was just a toddler then. I love this picture so much I decided to keep it here for all of us to enjoy! 

This picture was taken in Florida at a restaurant where I got lemons with my water and Will insisted on eating them all.

His face says it all…but he actually really loves them and goes back for more!

Needless to say this soup was a big hit with him and the rest of my family.  

They love any type of chicken soup that I make but especially love this Chicken Orzo Soup. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN LEMON CHICKEN SOUP?

CHICKEN: There are a few options when it comes to the chicken in this soup.

You can use chicken tenders, thighs or breasts and cook them as part of the process of making this soup. You can save yourself time by buying a rotisserie chicken and shredded that and adding it in to the soup.

VEGETABLES: I also include carrots, onion and celery in my chicken soup recipes.

You can add other vegetables if you like. I think zucchini, peas, green beans and greens work nicely. 

ORZO: I love using orzo in soups and in salads like this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad. It works nicely in this soup. Look for a whole wheat version at the store for a healthier soup! 

BROTH: You can make a homemade chicken broth or bone broth for this soup or buy your favorite store-bought brand. 

FRESH HERBS: As with most of my recipes I would suggest adding your favorite fresh herbs.

I think that fresh parsley and dill work nicely in this soup. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS LEMON ORZO SOUP:

COOK THE ORZO: Cook the orzo pasta according to package until al dente.

Remove and rinse under cold water and set aside.

SAUTE THE VEGETABLES: In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the minced garlic for two minutes.

Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.

ADD THE CHICKEN BROTH AND SPICES: Add the chicken broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and lemon juice and simmer for 15 minutes.

ADD THE ORZO AND COOK: Add the orzo pasta, chicken, spinach, salt and pepper to taste and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Garnish with fresh parsley, dill, parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread.

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS ORZO SOUP:

• VEGETABLES: Add additional vegetables to your soup including peas, green beans, zucchini and mushrooms.
• GREENS: I also enjoy adding greens like fresh spinach, kale or swiss chard to this soup.
• CREAMY: Make this soup a creamy one. You can add heavy cream to the soup to thicken it up and make it a richer cup of soup. 
• PROTEIN: Skip the chicken. You certainly don’t have to add chicken to this soup. Or you could use chicken thighs, drumsticks, boneless skinless chicken breasts and shred that meat.
• BEANS: If you want to add additional protein that isn’t meat, try adding beans. I like chickpeas or white beans. 
• PASTA: You can swap the orzo for other pasta shapes like whole wheat orzo, penne, farfalle or fusilli.
• GRAIN: Use brown or white rice or quinoa instead of orzo.
• SPICES: Add spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric or curry powder for a unique twist.
• HERBS: I love adding fresh herbs like fresh dill, parsley, basil, fresh rosemary, oregano or thyme.

TIPS FOR THIS LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP RECIPE:

• LEFTOVERS:  I think this soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
• FREEZE IT: This soup freezes well. I would suggest keeping the orzo separate if you plan to freeze some because the orzo can soak up all of the broth and the orzo sometimes becomes mushy. I just add the orzo as I eat the soup. 
• PREP INGREDIENTS: You can easily prep the ingredients for this soup ahead of time like chopping chicken, the vegetables and even cooking the orzo. Then when you are ready to make the soup you will cut the time in half. 
• STOCK OR BROTH: Use a good quality chicken stock or broth to add flavor to your soup. I like to try and use homemade chicken stock when I can! 
• CREAMY: If you want a creamy soup add half and half or cream at the end of the cooking of the soup. 
• LEMONY FLAVOR: The best way to really infuse that lemon flavor into the soup is to use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. This takes the soup to the next level. 

OTHER ORZO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO

BUTTERNUT SQUASH ORZO 

TOMATO SPINACH ORZO SOUP

SUMMER ORZO PASTA SALAD

GREEK ORZO PASTA SALAD

CAPRESE ORZO SALAD

ONE POT TOMATO HERB ORZO