Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is light, refreshing, and comforting, made with simple everyday ingredients and a bright pop of lemon flavor. It’s nourishing, easy to make, and guaranteed to become a family favorite.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Easy Chicken and Rice Soup or this Chicken Tortilla Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This soup is cozy and satisfying without being heavy, with a bright lemony broth and tender orzo that elevate it beyond classic chicken noodle soup. The rice-shaped pasta cooks quickly, adding heartiness without weighing the dish down. Made with simple ingredients, it’s an easy, comforting meal that feels fresh and elevated.

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Ingredient List

The Veggie Base:

• 2 stalks celery, chopped small (I’m lazy about the “finely” part)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• ½ medium onion, whatever size pieces you want
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or just chopped if you’re in a hurry)

The Soup Foundation:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 cups chicken broth (store-bought is fine, I’m not judging)
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

The Finishing Touches:

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (start here, add more if you want)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper, however much tastes right

If you’ve got chicken thighs instead, use those. They’re actually better but chicken breasts were on sale that week.

Why These Ingredients Work

The butter and oil combo was pure laziness – ran out of butter and was too tired to go to the store. Works better than just butter anyway since butter burns. My mom always said use celery, carrots, and onion together though I skip the celery half the time.

That flour thing confused me forever until someone explained it makes the soup thick without being weird like cornstarch. Lemon juice goes in last because I tried adding it early once and it tasted off. Don’t make my mistake.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need a big pot. That’s really the main thing. I use my Dutch oven but any large pot works. Sharp knife for chopping (or don’t, I’ve definitely used a butter knife in desperate times). A wooden spoon for stirring. Two forks for shredding the chicken later. That’s about it.

How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Step 1: Cook the vegetables

Melt butter and oil in your biggest pot. Dump in the celery, carrots, and onion. Let them cook for 7-8 minutes until they’re soft and smell good. I never time this exactly, just eyeball it.

Step 2: Add garlic and flour

Toss in the garlic for 30 seconds then sprinkle the flour over everything. Stir it around for a minute. It looks weird but trust me on this part.

Step 3: Add broth and chicken

Pour the chicken broth in slowly while stirring or you’ll get flour clumps everywhere. Been there, done that. Add Italian seasoning and plop the chicken breasts right in. Crank the heat up until it bubbles.

Step 4: Simmer everything

Turn heat down to medium-low and cover with the lid cracked open a bit. Let it bubble away for 15 minutes. I always forget to set a timer and then panic that I’ve overcooked the chicken.

Step 5: Cook the orzo

Dump the orzo in and stir it every couple minutes for about 10 minutes. Do not leave this alone or you’ll have mushy pasta soup. Ask me how I know.

Step 6: Shred the chicken

Fish out the chicken (use tongs or it’ll fall apart) and shred it with two forks. It should pull apart really easy. Put it back in the pot.

Step 7: Finish with lemon and herbs

Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Taste it and add more lemon, salt, or pepper until it tastes right. Ladle into bowls and eat it hot.

You Must Know

The orzo keeps soaking up broth even after you turn the heat off. I made this on Sunday and by Tuesday it was basically orzo casserole. Now I cook the pasta separate and just add it to bowls when I’m reheating leftovers.

Personal Secret: I always squeeze extra lemon right into my own bowl before eating. My kids think I’m weird but that extra zing makes it perfect for me.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Don’t skip putting flour in even though it seems pointless. It’s what makes the soup thick instead of watery. Also keep that lid cracked when it’s simmering or it boils too hard and makes the chicken tough.

Shred the chicken instead of cutting it into chunks. Shredded mixes better and doesn’t feel like you’re eating chicken soup with chicken pieces floating around. And buy fresh parsley – the dried stuff tastes like grass.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Sometimes I throw in a bag of spinach at the end if I’m feeling healthy. My neighbor adds feta cheese which sounds gross but actually tastes good.

If you want it creamy, stir in some Greek yogurt after you take it off the heat. Don’t add it while it’s boiling or it gets chunky and weird. My sister-in-law puts red pepper flakes in hers but she’s crazy about spicy food.

Make-Ahead Options

You can make everything except the orzo and keep it in the fridge for a couple days. Then just heat it up and cook fresh orzo when you want to eat it.

I’ve frozen the soup without pasta and it worked fine. Just thaw it overnight and add new orzo when you reheat it. Don’t freeze it with the pasta already in there unless you want mushy pasta soup.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Watch the orzo like a hawk. One minute it’s perfect, next minute it’s mush. I taste it every couple minutes after I add it.

If your soup gets too thick (because orzo is greedy), just add more chicken broth. If it’s too thin, let it cook with the lid off for a few more minutes. Not rocket science.

Serving Suggestions

Honestly this soup doesn’t need anything else but I always make grilled cheese with it because that’s what my mom did. Sometimes I put some crackers on the table. My husband likes to dump parmesan cheese on his but he does that with everything.

How to Store Your Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Keep it in the fridge for 3 or 4 days max. The pasta soaks up more broth every day so you’ll need to add some when you reheat it.

Don’t freeze it with the orzo in there. Make the soup part, freeze that for a few months if you want, then add fresh cooked orzo when you defrost it. Heat it up slow on the stove and add more broth as needed.

Allergy Information

This has gluten from the orzo and flour, and dairy from the butter. If you can’t have gluten, use rice instead of orzo and skip the flour (the soup will just be thinner). If you can’t have dairy, use more olive oil instead of butter.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can you use other kinds of vegetables in lemon chicken orzo soup?

For sure. I’ve thrown in zucchini, bell peppers, whatever’s going bad in my fridge. Add them with the other vegetables at the beginning. Peas are good too but add those at the very end.

What side dishes go well with lemon chicken orzo soup?

Grilled cheese is the obvious choice. My mom always made it with grilled cheese so that’s what I do. Crusty bread for dipping works too. Sometimes I just put crackers on the table and call it dinner.

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead?

Yeah, just add it at the end to heat it up. You’ll save like 20 minutes.

What if I can’t find orzo?

Any small pasta works. I’ve used those little shells, broken up spaghetti, whatever was in my pantry.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Sure. Put everything except the orzo, lemon juice, and parsley in there for 6 hours on low, then add orzo for the last 30 minutes. Add the lemon and parsley when it’s done.

This soup has become our go-to when someone’s sick or when it’s cold outside. Hope your family likes it as much as mine does.

💬 Made this soup? Tell me how it turned out! I love hearing what people change or add to make it their own.