My Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with fresh herbs is a cozy and bright dinner recipe. It is easy to make and makes a big helping so you will have plenty of leftovers. Save this to Pinterest so you can make it!
It is early spring here right now and that means the weather is all over the place. Some days are bright, beautiful and warm with a slight chill and other days it is downright cold with temperatures back in the 20’s and 30’s. Whenever I’m in this in-between season of sunshine-y spring and the leftover parts of winter, I crave lemon flavors. But I’m also still in the mood for cozy, warm things too. My Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe is perfect for those days when I get to soak up spring sunshine, but still need to have my coat, gloves and hat handy.
Little pastas
Something I love about this soup is that it reminds me of eating Pastina as a child. Pastina is a little star noodle that is often cooked in chicken bother with a little parmesan and it was one of my favorites as a kid. (I should make this for you sometime.) My Grandma Leah would make it all the time for lunch when I spent Saturday at her house and the way the noodles work with the broth thickens the soup and gives the broth a rich flavor. My Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe has a similar flavoring with just a touch of that lemon. In fact, Orzo and my star-shaped Pastina are both classified as “little pasta”.
What makes Orzo different
Orzo is small in shape and made from semolina flour that comes from drum wheat. Orzo – which means barely in Italian – is an American name for the pasta. It is actually called Rizi or Rozini in Italy, which means rice. However, it is neither barely or rice. It is a pasta.
If you are here often for my recipes, then you may know I often like to cook my noodles separately. I usually like to make lighter carb meals for myself so one of the ways I’ve done this is to not cook my noodles in my soups. Instead I cook them in another pot and ladle the broth over them. But with my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup that doesn’t really work. To really get that wonderful flavor from the Orzo and the soup, I find cooking the two of them together just works better.
What is in my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe?
Like most other Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipes, my recipe contains chicken, orzo, lemon, carrots, celery and onion. However, I also like to add in a good helping of fresh garlic, a shallot and plenty of fresh herbs. For this recipe, dill is my favorite herb to use but I also add in fresh thyme and oregano too.
Not only that, but I flavor the chicken. A lot of recipes just add a little salt and pepper to the chicken, but I find that it has the best flavor when it is flavored prior to being cooked. Then, I cook it first in batches so the base of the soup can benefit from the dried herbs and the chicken flavoring left behind.
Lastly, I’ll end up tossing some of the squeezed lemons into the pot. I love the bright lemon flavor in this dish and I feel adding the whole lemon halves during the last bit of the cooking process really helps it to stand out.
Tips for making my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- If you have used Orzo before then you know like most pastas, it is going to continue to soak up that broth even and especially after you are done cooking it. If you want more broth, feel free to add another cup or two of chicken broth once you are done cooking.
- Make sure to use the fresh herbs. They really make a difference in the soup. If you don’t grow dill, it is relatively easy to find at the grocery store in early spring through the summer.
- I use boneless skinless chicken thighs when making the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. The meat is more flavorful and stays moist better than white meat chicken. However, you can use chicken breast if you like as well.
- I make this in my Le Creuset Dutch oven, which I use for almost everything I make. You can find it {HERE}, If you don’t a Dutch Oven, the largest pot in your pot and pan set should work. This makes a big pot of soup. We have enough for about 8 helpings the size of the photo. Just be aware, you will probably have leftovers.
Saving and reheating the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this for about a month. Thaw in the fridge.
When it comes to reheating the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, heat on the stove over a low to medium flame. You will want to add 3 cups of chicken broth to make it more brothy. The Orzo will have soaked up all your broth and the lemon will taste very tart and acidic now that the noodles have soaked up everything. Adding chicken broth fixes it. You just might need to add salt and pepper again to flavor but I don’t reason with herbs unless I’ve really planned ahead well. If you reheat in the microwave, also add 1/2 cup more broth before cooking.
Looking for more soup recipes?
If you love a good soup recipe, try these too!
- Homemade Minestrone Soup {HERE}
- The Best Vegetable Soup {HERE}
- Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup {HERE}
- Steak and Cauliflower Soup {HERE}
- Recipe for Beet Soup {HERE}
- The Best Ham Bone Soup {HERE}
Looking for more spring recipes?
If you are in the mood for spring things, here are a few spring recipes to try!
- Asparagus & Pea Salad with Mint {HERE}
- Buttered Roasted Radishes {HERE}
- Spring Pea Pasta with Mint {HERE}
- Lemon and Herb Baby Potatoes {HERE}
- Classic English Pea Salad {HERE}
- Roasted Asparagus Salad with Parmesan {HERE}
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Thank you so much for joining me today, friends! I hope that you love my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup! The full, printable recipe is below. Happy spring and happy eating!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe with fresh herbs
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven or pot
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- A sprinkle of Coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper on each thigh
For the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 2 small carrots, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- zest of one lemon
- 4 large cloves or garlic, grated or pressed
- 1/8 cup flour
- 10 cups chicken broth, reserve one cup separately
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme About 4-5 inches long
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano About 4-5 inches long
- 3 sprigs fresh dill About 4-5 inches long
- 5 tbsp Fresh squeezed lemon juice Divided by 2 and 3 tablespoons
- 2 cups - 1 lb orzo pasta Use 2 cups if you want a more soupy consistency to start. Use the box if you want more stewy consistency.
- Lemon rind halves
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- Coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Optional: Lemon slice, more fresh dill and parmesan cheese to serve.
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with the spice mix.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pot and heat on medium until it is shimmering. Then add in the chicken and cook 2 minutes per side. Remove when done and set aside.
- Add in the onion and the shallots and cook for 4 minutes stirring regularly or until they begin to look translucent. Add in the carrots and celery and cook for anther 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Next, add in the garlic and lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes. Then mix in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scrapping the brown bits from the bottom. Then pour in the rest of the chicken broth and add the chicken thighs back to the pot along with any drippings from the plate it rested on.
- Bring to a light boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Add in the fresh sprigs of thyme, oregano and dill. Also add in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Once the time is up, remove the chicken from the pot and chop or pull apart. Add it back to the pot along with any drippings. Now add in the orzo and cook to package directions. Make sure to stir regularly and scrap the bottom of the pan. The orzo likes to stick to the bottom and will burn if you leave it there.
- Once the orzo is done, mix in the lemon rind halves, rest of the lemon juice and simmer on the lowest setting for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Mix in the fresh chopped dill and season to taste with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- If you want to add more chicken broth, you can add it now.
- Serve topped with a lemon slice, fresh dill and sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. If you want even more lemon flavor, squeeze a slice above the bowl. Optional: Parmesan cheese
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