Description
Make the perfect Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with tender chicken, vegetables, and bright citrus flavors. Ready in under an hour with simple ingredients!
Ingredients
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
Instructions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes
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.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American