Quick Look: Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Ready In: 1 hour (45 minutes cook time)
- Cook Time for Deeper Flavor: 2 hours
- Serves: 10
- Main Ingredients: chicken thighs, chicken broth, lemon, carrots, celery, garlic, orzo, and a fresh herb bundle.
- Dietary Info: dairy-free and gluten-free friendly
- Flavor Profile: Greek-inspired flavor and rich, non-creamy broth
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You Need This Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
- Light & bright flavors from the added lemon juice and simmering whole lemon right in the broth.
- Bone-in chicken thighs that cook right in the broth provide a deeper, richer flavor.
- No need to bother with tempering eggs in this Greek lemon chicken soup.
- Best texture achieved by cooking the orzo separately from the soup.
- Toss in a fresh herb bundle to bring even more depth of flavor!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chicken Thighs – bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will yield the most flavor when cooking. Boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts can also be used but will not contribute as much flavor to the broth.
- Lemon – a whole lemon is simmered right in the broth for those bright & fresh flavors. If you have the time, consider grilling the lemon halves before adding them to the pot for that slightly charred flavor.
- Orzo – feel free to use your favorite gluten-free orzo to make this recipe gluten-free.
How To Make Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Step 1 – Chop and prep all of the ingredients.
Step 2 – Sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil.
Step 3 – Add the broth and bring the pot to a simmer.
Step 4 – Add the chicken thighs, herb bundle and lemon halves. Simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
When is the Chicken Fully Cooked?
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the center of the chicken thighs reaches 165°F. Let them rest for a few minutes to cool on a cutting board before shredding and returning to the pot. Discard the bones and skin.
Step 5 – Remove the chicken to shred and return the meat to the pot with the carrots, celery, lemon juice, and salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are fork-tender.
Step 6 – While the veggies simmer, cook the orzo in a separate pot. Ladle the soup over servings of orzo in individual bowls.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
Short vs. Long Simmer: We tested this soup with both shorter (30-minute) and longer (2-hour) simmer times. The shorter option is great when pressed for time, but we found that simmering chicken for 2 hours develops a noticeably deeper, richer broth flavor.
Cook Orzo Separately: We have tried cooking orzo directly in the soup, but found that it keeps absorbing the broth and becomes very mushy. Cooking and storing it separately provides a much better texture for the soup.
Rich Broth Without Cream: This soup has a rich, full-bodied broth without adding any cream or tempered eggs (like in Greek avgolemono soup).
Best Ways To Serve Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This brothy chicken soup is best enjoyed with crusty bread, a slice of sourdough bread, or breadsticks to soak up all that deliciousness. If you do fire up the grill for the lemon, then consider making some slices of grilled bread for dunking!
Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup FAQs
Avgolemono soup uses an egg-lemon mixture to create a more silky, creamy broth, while this Greek lemon chicken orzo soup uses lemon, fresh herbs, and chicken to add flavor to the broth.
Leftover soup and orzo can be stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat and combine when ready to serve.
Yes, the soup itself can be cooled and stored in a freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave room in the container for expansion and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not cook the orzo pasta until reheating the soup to serve.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 herb bundle, fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano
- 1 lemon, halved*
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
- 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1¼ cups orzo, sub gluten-free orzo
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a 5.5qt Dutch Oven to a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add diced onion and 2 teaspoons garlic. Move around and let cook down, about 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer: Add 8 cups chicken broth, 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 1 herb bundle and 1 lemon (cut in half). Cover and let simmer a minimum of 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours*). Remove lemons and herb bundle; discard.
- Shred: Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 165℉ before removing them from the pot. Once the chicken has cooled a bit, discard the bones and skin and shred the meat; return the shredded meat to the pot.
- Add Veggies: Add carrots, celery and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; stir to combine.
- Adjust: Taste and add kosher salt, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it has reached your desired saltiness (how much salt you will need may depend upon what brand/type of chicken broth you used).
- Cook Orzo: While the vegetables simmer to be fork-tender, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 1¼ cups orzo according to its package instructions to al dente. Once cooked, drain the orzo in a colander.
- Serve: Scoop some cooked orzo into a bowl and then ladle the soup over top. Serve immediately!
Notes
- *Lemon: for a little extra flavor feel free to make grilled lemon halves, but regular work just fine.
- Simmer Time: for the best, deepest flavor I would recommend simmering (covered) for 2 hours in the second step. Also, if you happen to have any celery or carrot scraps or ends you want to throw in during this simmering process, they will also provide added flavor! Just remember to remove them after simmering and discard.
- Chicken Thighs: you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but the flavor won’t be quite as good. Two chicken breasts would also work in a pinch.
- Herb Bundle: a basic, fresh herb bundle will also add so much great flavor!
- Orzo Separate: we are cooking the orzo separately so it doesn’t soak up all of the broth during the cooking process and become soggy.
- Taste along the way: everyone has different tastes, be sure to taste this soup along the way. The type of chicken broth used will impact the flavor and I don’t want you to end up with a soup that is TOO lemony or too salty. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out once you put it in – so taste along the way to make sure it turns out just right for you.
- Storage: for best results, store the soup and orzo in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
Bridget says
Perfect for this chilly Fall afternoon! Delish!
Teresa says
Delicious! So easy and perfect for when you’re feeling a little under the weather
Erin says
Glad you enjoyed it and I hope you feel better soon!
Fay says
Love the simplicity of this delicious soup