Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Craving a cozy but not too heavy meal? Try this chicken lemon orzo soup! It's light and vibrant thanks to the lemon and spinach, making it a great choice not just for cooler months but for spring and summer, too.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 287kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion diced
3 medium carrots peeled and thinly diced
2 small celery stalks chopped
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
4 cloves garlic minced
7 cups chicken stock or broth
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 cups dry orzo
3 cups cooked, rotisserie chicken no skins, no bones, shredded (preferrably legs and thighs) - about 1.5 lb
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups baby spinach
1 large lemon juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

Chopped fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small lemon sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, chopped celery, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until softened and slightly caramelized. Add fresh minced garlic during the last 2 minutes of cooking the veggies.
Pour in chicken stock and stir to scrape any browned bits. Add thyme. Bring the stock to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes. Remove ⅓ cup of the stock and set aside to cool.
Sti rin orzo and shredded chicken. Cook for 8-10 minutes (or according to package directions) until the orzo is almost cooked. Stir the orzo frequently to keep it from stucking to the bottom of the pot.
Whisk cornstarch with cooled chicken stock (or water) until you have a slurry.
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup and stir to combine.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the spinach. Squeeze in half the lemon. Cook until the spinach is wilted, for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat. Taste the soup and squeeze the remaining lemon juice into the soup, gradually (if desired) and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve soup warm, garnished with chopped parsley, fresh thyme. Add a slice of lemon to each individual soup bowl.

Notes

Chicken options: For the chicken, I used shredded rotisserie legs and thighs, no bones, skin removed. Leftover cooked chicken works just as well, too. If starting with raw chicken, simmer it in the broth for about 15 minutes until it's completely cooked, then shred and return it to the pot before adding the orzo.
To shred chicken easily, I either pull it apart with two forks or pulse it a few times in a food processor.
Pasta options. If you can’t find orzo, you can use small-cut pasta like ditalini or mini elbows. It’s also great with leftover cooked rice.
To prevent orzo from sticking, I always use a heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven and stir frequently. If you're worried about sticking, you can also cook the orzo separately, rinse it, and then add it to the soup.
Lemon tip: Add the lemon juice gradually. If you have an extra big or juicy lemon, and add it all at once, it can overpower the soup.
Need more flavor? Add ½ teaspoon or more of Better Than Bouillon chicken base.
Don’t have chicken stock or broth? Substitute with 7 cups hot water and about 2 or 3 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon chicken base.
Time-saving tip: If your store sells fresh mirepoix (pre-chopped onion, carrot, and celery), it can really cut down on prep time.
Delicious add-ins. I’ve tried adding just a touch of dried ginger and mushrooms - so good!
Toppings: I love sprinkling my chicken lemon orzo soup with bright chopped green onion and grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. It's also great with some red pepper flakes!
Meal prep tip: If you're serving the soup right away, it's fine to cook the orzo directly in the pot. But for meal prep, I recommend cooking the orzo separately and adding it just before serving to keep it from soaking up too much broth and getting soggy.

Nutrition