Looking for soothing soup recipes? Look no further than this Lemony Chicken Orzo Soup, packed with healthy veggies, protein-packed chicken, and lots of flavor. This soup is perfect for those cooler fall and winter evenings!
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but if I were to call myself an expert on any recipe, it would be soup. Currently, I have close to 50 soup recipes on The Healthy Maven!
As much as I love summer, I live for the colder months and a hot bowl of soup. It’s my go-to way to feed myself and my family, so when soup season rolls around, you better bet I’ll be there with a new recipe! This Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup has quickly become a family favorite. My daughter calls it “baby pasta soup” and I don’t complain about her eating both veggies and chicken. Even my baby enjoys it! believe me when i say everyone Will love this soup.
Required raw materials
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – I prefer chicken thighs in this chicken lentil soup recipe because they add more flavor. You can substitute chicken breast if you prefer.
- olive oil – For cooking chicken + vegetables
- vegetable– Yellow onions, celery, carrots + garlic
- Chicken broth/stock – You can also use beef, vegetable stock or even water. If you’re watching your sodium content, feel free to use low-sodium stock.
- dried thyme – for the taste. Feel free to add fresh thyme if desired.
- salt+pepper – I made suggestions, but feel free to add more or less depending on taste and sodium preference
- rice grains – Orzo is a small pasta dish that cooks quickly. Orzo means “rice” in Italian because of its similar shape to rice.
- lemon – Zest and juice. It adds a nice zing that goes really well with this recipe.
- fresh parsley – You can skip this or use dry instead.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Step 1: Cook the chicken
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and place over medium heat. Add the chicken legs to the pan and brown each side (5-7 minutes). It’s okay if it’s not fully cooked. You just want to brown them. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step Two: Cook the Vegetables
Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and sauté onions until translucent. Add celery, carrots and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the soup
Add the chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, bring to a boil, and return chicken and any juices to soup. Cook for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Shred the chicken
Use tongs to remove chicken thighs and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Once the chicken has cooled, shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the soup.
Step 5: Cook the orzo + serve
Add the orzo, lemon zest and juice to the soup and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the orzo is cooked. Sprinkle the soup with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
FAQ
Absolutely! Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs if desired.
You certainly can but please note that quantities and cooking times vary by grain and pasta type, so I’d be better off sticking to orzo.
Yes! If you prefer, you can use fresh thyme instead of dried thyme (double the amount) and dried parsley instead of fresh parsley (half the amount).
It’s totally up to you. I think this is delicious on its own, but you could also serve it with some toast, a spoonful of yogurt on top, or even a side salad.
must! See storage instructions below.
Storage instructions
This Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup recipe stores well in the refrigerator or freezer. Your soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. To defrost, remove from the refrigerator a few hours before serving and heat the soup to the desired temperature in a pot. You can also heat leftovers in the microwave.
Healthier Soup Recipes:
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Looking for soothing soup recipes? Look no further than this Lemony Chicken Orzo Soup, packed with healthy veggies, protein-packed chicken, and lots of flavor. This soup is perfect for those cooler fall and winter evenings!
- Preparation time: 10
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- yield: 6 number of copies 1x
- category: Soup
- method: chef
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 big yellow onion, dice
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrot, Peel+ chopped
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups chicken soup
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Uncooked rice grains
- Zest + juice, 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and place over medium heat.
- Add the chicken legs to the pan and brown each side (5-7 minutes total). It’s okay if it’s not fully cooked. You just want to brown them. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and sauté onions until translucent.
- Add celery, carrots and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to low, bring to a boil, and return chicken and any juices to soup.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove chicken thighs and place on a cutting board to cool slightly.
- Add the orzo, lemon zest and juice to the soup and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the orzo is cooked.
- Once the chicken has cooled, shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the soup.
- Sprinkle the soup with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
