This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe combines roasted chicken, orzo pasta, onions, celery, carrots, and spinach in a perfectly seasoned broth with a squeeze of lemon. It is a refreshing, fulfilling, taste-tantalizing experience. Using already baked rotisserie chicken for this recipe makes it easy to get it on the table in less than thirty minutes.
This is a hearty meal, but for a guest-worthy meal, I like to serve it with homemade rolls and rocket salad. Sometimes we serve the soup with a slice of coconut cream pie for dessert. Whatever you decide to serve with it I am sure you will get rave reviews.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Oil: vegetables, canola, or olive oil
- Spices: dried marjoram and thyme, crushed rosemary, and bay leaves. Other seasonings might include Italian parsley, sage, or basil.
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Orzo: It is a small rice-shaped pasta and can be found in the same grocery aisle as the other dried pasta.
- Cooked chicken: Any cooked chicken will work. I use rotisserie chicken but you can also use poached, baked, or grilled chicken breast or thighs.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the best aroma and flavor.
- Baby spinach: regular spinach can be used, but remove the large stems
How to make Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
This soup is so easy that even a weeknight is doable. Cook your vegetables in a little oil until soft. Then add your garlic and spices cooking for just a minute. Stir in the flour cooking for a couple of minutes while stirring.
Add the chicken stock and the bay leaves and bring it to a low boil for a few minutes. Next, add the orzo and the chicken simmering till the orzo is tender. Add the lemon juice and spinach cooking just until the spinach wilts. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves. They are sharp and stiff and could pose a choking hazard.
Preparation Tips
- Don’t forget to remove your bay leaves. They are sharp and stiff and could pose a choking hazard.
- For added lemon flavor add a little fresh lemon zest to each bowl.
- If reserving some of the soup for freezing or leftovers remove that portion before adding the pasta. Then add the pasta when reheating the soup. That way the pasta won’t be swollen or mushy.
Serving Suggestions
This is a hearty soup all by itself but for those times when you need a little something extra try:
- Grilled cheese
- Garden salad
- Beer bread with cheddar
- Cheddar pull-apart bread
- French baguettes with soft butter
- Creamy cucumber tomato salad
- Avocado salad
- Grilled vegetables
Store and Reheat
Start by cooling the soup. For a quick and immediate (especially for soups with pasta), cool down, place the pot in an ice bath, and stir to cool. Do not submerge it.
Ladle the cooled soup into quart or gallon-size freezer bags. Be sure to mark the bags with the date and the contents. Keep in mind that liquids expand when frozen so leave about an inch at the top of the bag for expansion. On the flip side you don’t want it to get freezer burnt so remove any excess air.
Lay the bags down in a single layer on cookie sheets in the freezer. Once fully frozen stack the bags in the freezer to save on space. Remember to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stove-top on low or in the microwave at a reduced power so as not to overcook any ingredients
More Chicken Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup orzo pasta
- 3 cups cooked cubed chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 cups baby spinach
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook until the onions and celery are soft; approximately 6-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
- Raise heat to medium low. Sprinkle flour over vegetables; cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Add bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil; stirring several times.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the orzo and chicken and cook until the orzo is tender; 8-10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and spinach cooking until the spinach is wilted.
- Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves. For best results serve promptly.
Notes
- Don’t forget to remove your bay leaves. They are sharp and stiff and could pose a choking hazard.
- For added lemon flavor add a little fresh lemon zest to each bowl.
- If reserving some of the soup for freezing or leftovers remove that portion before adding the pasta. Then add the pasta when reheating the soup. That way the pasta won’t be swollen or mushy.
Nutrition
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Angela Campos
This turned out amazing! It was easy to prepare and the entire family loved it. I can’t wait to make it again…YUM!!!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Angela!
Molly Kumar
This was so easy to make and we loved the blend of spices with the veggies in soup. Absolutely loved it.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Molly! So happy that you liked the soup!
Michelle
Made this chicken orzo soup on a snow day and it was the perfect meal for a cold day! Thank you!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Michelle!
May
This soup is the reason why I love this time of the year. So delicous! I will make this again and again!
Amelia J
This soup was exactly what I needed on a chilly evening! The lemon added such a refreshing brightness, and the orzo made it extra comforting. Definitely a new go-to recipe for me!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Amelia! So glad that you liked it!
Cara
This tastes like the ultimate cozy comfort food in a bowl! Always amazes me how a little lemon flavor can liven up a recipe like this
Beth Pierce
I agree, Cara!
Pamela Lee
Is the flour required only to thicken the soup, or is it required to enhance the flavour somehow? Would it be the same if I just pureed a portion of the soup to thicken it? It sounds like an amazing recipe and will try it. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delay. Yes the flour is for thickening. You can puree some of the soup to thicken it, instead.
Sonya
I love this soup but for the time alloted to saute veggies my carrots and celery didn’t grt done and didn’t pay attention till the end and they weren’t soft. I will make again. Everyone I share this with loves it. Did yall saute veggies longer? Also I didn’t have marjoram so I looked up substitute and it said sweet basil and I added a little sugar.
Beth Pierce
So glad that you and your friends like it.
Deborah Rackliff
Every time I make this it’s so delicious
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Deborah!
Lisa E
Oh my, where has this soup been all my life? Made it for dinner tonight–absolutely delicious! I didn’t have any orzo on hand, but I did have ditalini (AKA salad-roni), which worked perfectly. I love the 12.5 oz cans of chicken that Costco sells in 6-packs; I used two of those. And I live in the Panhandle of Florida and we’re having a bumper crop of Meyer lemons right now, so I’m using lemon in everything! I made a batch of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits (from their boxed mix–just as good as the restaurant’s), and that was dinner. It’s in the rotation for sure!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lisa! I am so glad that you liked the soup. I just love soup!
Michele
Made this soup this evening, it was delicious. Was out of marjoram and the grocery store was as well so used oregano instead. I added a bit extra orzo, lemon zest and extra lemon juice. Will definitely make again but with marjoram next time.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Michele. Glad that you liked it.
Terri Hill
Is there a spice that can be used instead of rosemary?
Beth Pierce
With the other spices in there I think I would just omit it.
Barb
Made this today..it is sooo good
Love the lemon and orzo combo
NMHR
We’re a vegetarian family. I used cauliflower vs chicken & no chicken base bouillon for the broth. Quite yummy.