This lemon chicken orzo soup is a quick, comforting meal with tender chicken, orzo, and fresh lemon. Ready in about 30 minutes.
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Pin ItHow to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Sauté the Vegetables and Chicken. Heat olive oil in a large pot, then cook carrots, celery, and leeks for 5–6 minutes. Add garlic and chicken pieces, cooking until the chicken is lightly browned.
- Simmer the Soup. Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10–12 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Add orzo and peas, and simmer for another 8–10 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Finish and Serve. Stir in lemon zest, spinach, and dill, and cook for 2–3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm with lemon wedges.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can prep the chopped vegetables and chicken up to 1 day in advance and store them in the fridge. The soup can also be fully cooked (without the orzo) and refrigerated, then reheated and finished with orzo before serving to avoid mushy pasta.
To Store: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If the orzo is already in the soup, it may soak up some broth—just add a splash of water or stock when reheating.
To Freeze: Freeze the lemon orzo chicken soup without the orzo and spinach for best texture. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, reheat, then stir in freshly cooked orzo and spinach before serving.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- ½ chopped leeks
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound chicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinless , cut into bite size pieces
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup orzo
- zest of one lemon
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped or to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the carrots, celery, and leeks. Sauté for 5–6 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the chicken pieces and cook for 3–4 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the orzo and frozen peas to the pot.
- Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
- Stir in the lemon zest, spinach, and dill.
- Cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm with lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
