Description
This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a bright and flavorful dish that’s perfect for a light and satisfying meal. Tender chicken, orzo pasta, and vegetables are simmered in a flavorful broth with a touch of fresh lemon juice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add Chicken and Broth: Increase the stove heat to high. Add the chicken broth, raw chicken breasts, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer: Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. After the simmer time, ensure that the chicken is cooked all the way through to 165°F before removing it from the pot.
- Shred Chicken and Add Orzo: Remove the chicken from the pot to a plate and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken and dry orzo pasta into the soup.
- Cook Orzo: Cook the soup until the orzo pasta is cooked through to your preferred al dente or softer texture, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the soup occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add Lemon Juice: Stir in the fresh lemon juice. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving.
Notes
- Serving Size: This soup serves 6 people, with each portion being large, at about 1 ¾ cup per serving. If feeding small kids, you can easily get 8 smaller portions from this soup.
- Lemon: Only use fresh lemon in this recipe. Bottled lemon juice won’t taste the same.
- Chicken: Use two large pieces of chicken breast or about 1 pound of chicken. If the pieces are larger, cut each chicken breast into smaller chunks to ensure that it cooks thoroughly in the cook time given.
- Broth: Chicken stock can also be used. Water + bouillon is another option, or use chicken paste + water. Full-salt chicken broth is recommended for this recipe.
- Storage: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 300kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
