Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup - a flavorful and delicious lemon chicken orzo soup recipe that is packed with flavor and so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 8 cups chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- 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
- 2-3 cups cooked orzo regular or gluten-free
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a 5.5qt Dutch Oven to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; swirl to coat the pan. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and move around the pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add diced onion 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 2 lemon halves. Cover and let simmer a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.* Remove lemons and herb bundle; discard.
- Shred: Remove chicken thighs and set aside. When chicken is cool enough, discard the bones and skin and shred the meat; return to Dutch Oven.
- 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: Meanwhile, cook 2-3 cups cooked orzo according to it's package instructions.
- 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 used Simple Grilled Lemons, but regular works just fine.
- Step 5: for the best, deepest flavor I would recommend simmering (covered) for 2 hours. Also, if you happen to have any celery or carrot scraps or ends you want to throw in during this simmering process throw them in! They will only add to the 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. 2 chicken breasts would also work in a pinch.
- Orzo Separate: we are cooking the orzo separate so it doesn't soak up all of the broth during the cooking process.
- Storage: store the soup/broth and the orzo separately so the orzo doesn't get mushy (and soak up the broth).
- Taste along the way: everyone is different so taste this soup along the way especially as you add the lemon juice and salt. What type of chicken broth you use will impact the flavor a lot and I don't want you to end up with a soup that is TOO lemony or too salty. You can always add more you can't take it out once you put it - so taste along the way to make sure it turns out just right for you.
- Herb Bundle: check out our Herb Bundle recipe!
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1752IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
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