Any season of the year, this lemon chicken orzo soup will satisfy as a main course served with hearty, rustic bread and a salad on the side, or as a soup course in a meal.

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I was first introduced to Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup at a lunch hosted by a friend who happened to be an outstanding cook. This was back in the early 1980's, and I've been making it ever since.

Being from a small Midwestern town, I'd never had soup flavored with lemon, nor the delicate pasta called orzo - a tiny pasta shaped like rice or barley. Actually, orzo means "barley" in Italian. I was completely hooked on the brightness that the lemon gives the soup and how it enhances the flavors of the rest of the ingredients.

Any season of the year, this lemon chicken orzo soup will satisfy as a main course served with hearty, rustic bread and a salad on the side, or as a soup course in a meal. Once you try this soup, you'll be ready to bring lemon as a star flavor in even more dishes!

Can Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup be made ahead of time?

Absolutely, with a few qualifiers:

Due to its delicate nature, leave the orzo out until you are ready to reheat and serve the soup. Prepare everything else ahead of time, then bring the soup to an almost-boil, add the orzo and cook until finished. Alternately, you can cook the orzo separately and add it to the reheated soup.
Add the lemon and parsley garnishes right before serving.

How to store Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Freeze it in an airtight container. Remove the lemon garnish and add new lemon garnish when you re-serve it.
In the refrigerator, store in an airtight container up to seven days.

Reheating tips

Reheat the soup slowly - do not bring it to a boil. Otherwise, the delicate nature of the orzo when brought to a boil after already being fully cooked will break it into mush.

Also, if you left the lemon garnish in the soup for storing, remove it and add fresh lemon slices before serving. The original lemon garnish won't stand up to reheating and will lose its visual appeal.

How to make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 stalks celery halved lengthwise, then sliced
2 medium carrots peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
½ medium onion chopped
2 average-size garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp all purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 pinch each of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and ground black pepper
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1¼ cups orzo uncooked
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley set some aside for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
lemon slices for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot, then add the carrot, celery and onion and sauté for about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and let it bloom for about 30 seconds.
Add the flour and cook for just over a minute.
Add the broth to the pot and stir to work the flour in. Add the pinches of seasoning and the chicken breasts. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.
After about 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the orzo and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, uncovered.
Remove the chicken and re-cover the pot. Using a fork, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Add the lemon and parsley. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and the reserved parsley.

More delicious soup and stew recipes to try...

Manhattan Clam Chowder - the flavor profile is completely different from the more familiar New England Clam Chowder
A fan favorite recipe here at The Unfussy Cook is Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Gravy - give it a whirl, I just know you're going to love it!
Chicken Pozole Verde - a Mexican soup that's light and bright and really easy to make
Spicy Chicken and Potato Soup - just the right amount of heat makes this soup irresistable

📖 Recipe

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Bright, refreshing, and oh so easy!

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5 from 2 votes

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Course: Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American, Greek

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 309kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery halved lengthwise, then sliced
2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
½ medium onion chopped
2 average-size garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 pinch each of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and ground black pepper
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced lengthwise, about 1" wide
1¼ cups orzo pasta uncooked
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley set some aside for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

Heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot, then add the carrot, celery and onion and saute for about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and let it bloom for about 30 seconds.
Add the flour and cook for just over a minute.
Add the broth to the pot and stir to work the flour in. Add the pinches of seasoning and the sliced chicken breasts. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.
After about 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the orzo and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, uncovered.
Remove the chicken and re-cover the pot. Using a fork, shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes more, to bring the chicken back up to temp.
Add the lemon juice and parsley. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and the reserved parsley.