Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

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This cozy lemon chicken orzo soup is fresh, fast, and full of flavor. One pot and a few simple ingredients make a feel-good dinner for the whole crew.

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A Cozy Chicken Orzo Soup with Bright Lemon Flavor

This is the kind of soup I make when I want something homemade, comforting, and not too heavy. It leans fresh thanks to the lemon, and it comes together in one pot without extra steps like making a roux or adding cream. You don’t even have to cut raw chicken because you'll drop whole chicken breasts right into the simmering broth and let the soup do all the work. It’s perfect for busy nights, weekend meal prep, or when you’re trying to use up leftovers, especially around the holidays.

If you have leftover baked chicken or holiday roast turkey breast, you can easily swap them in place of fresh chicken. Or pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store and turn it into a pot of deliciousness that feeds an army!

What Makes This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Different

• No cream, no flour, and no roux. The lemony broth is light and flavorful with no thickener needed because it thickens naturally as the orzo cooks.
• No dicing raw chicken. Simmer whole chicken breasts in the broth, then shred them for easy cleanup and great texture.
• Orzo cooks directly in the broth. This is a one-pot dinner. No need to boil pasta separately, it soaks up flavor as it cooks.
• Optional fresh dill. I love the brightness it adds, and it pairs beautifully with lemon and parsley.
• Totally flexible. Use rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey instead of cooking raw chicken.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Olive Oil – Use this to sauté the aromatics.
• Onion, Celery, Carrots – The classic soup base for depth and flavor.
• Garlic – Adds a savory, fragrant backbone.
• Italian Seasoning – A quick way to layer in herb flavor.
• Chicken Broth – Use all broth or a mix of broth and water to save money.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Poached whole and shredded after cooking.
• Uncooked Orzo Pasta – Small, rice-shaped pasta that cooks right in the soup.
• Lemon (zest and juice) – Adds brightness and balances the richness of the broth.
• Salt and Black Pepper – Season to taste.
• Fresh Parsley & Fresh Dill (optional) – Add at the end for color and freshness.

Let’s Make It: Step-by-Step Chicken Orzo Soup

First, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until tender. Stir in the garlic and seasoning and cook briefly. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the chicken breasts and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F, as measured with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the chicken to a covered dish to rest for 5 minutes.

Stir the orzo into the broth and simmer until tender, about 8–10 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent sticking.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice. By the way, bottled lemon juice can be used for this recipe, but the fresh lemon zest is what gives the soup its bold, fresh lemon flavor.

Shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with fresh parsley and dill, if you have them on hand.

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

• Chicken swap: Boneless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts. They typically cook about 5 minutes faster, so check for doneness a bit earlier.
• Pre-cooked chicken option: I like to use rotisserie chicken to save time when I don't want to use fresh chicken. For the best texture, add it near the end of cooking and warm it gently to prevent drying out.
• Extra lemon flavor: Use the zest and juice from 2 lemons for even more pronounced lemony brightness.
• Using dried herbs: If using dried parsley or dried dill, add them earlier in the simmering process so they have time to hydrate and flavor the broth.
• Add leafy greens: Stir in a few handfuls of fresh spinach, kale, or chopped Swiss chard during the last few minutes of simmering for extra color, nutrients, and texture.

Serving Ideas

• Homemade French bread
• No Knead Focaccia Bread
• Kale Salad
• Homemade Croutons

Storing and Reheating

Cool the soup completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The orzo may absorb more broth as it sits, so add water or broth when reheating if you like a broth-ey soup.

Easy Soup Recipes To Enjoy

• Chicken Tortellini Soup
• The Best Lasagna Soup Recipe
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Easy Vegetable Soup

📖 Recipe

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This cozy lemon chicken orzo soup is fresh, fast, and full of flavor. One pot and a few simple ingredients make a feel-good dinner for the whole crew.

Prep TimePrep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook TimeCook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total timeTotal Time: 40 minutes mins

Yield 12 cups

Author Traci

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Pin it for later 📌

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Note about scaling

When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 large Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
• ▢ 2 large Carrots, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• ▢ 2 ribs Celery, diced (about 1 cup)
• ▢ 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• ▢ 8 cups Chicken Broth, or 4 cups broth + 4 cups water
• ▢ 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, or 3 cups rotisserie chicken
• ▢ 1 cup Uncooked Orzo Pasta
• ▢ 1 large Lemon, zested and juiced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Black Pepper

Optional garnish

• ▢ Fresh Parsley and Fresh Dill, chopped

Instructions

• Heat a 4.5-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
• Add the ONION, CELERY, and CARROTS. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened. Stir in the GARLIC and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the ITALIAN SEASONING and cook for another minute to bloom the flavors.
• Pour in the CHICKEN BROTH and increase the heat to bring to a boil.
• Add the CHICKEN BREASTS, reduce the heat, and simmer until they reach a minimum internal temperature of 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Use clean tongs to transfer the CHICKEN to a covered dish and let it rest for 5 minutes to reach 165°F through carryover cooking.
• Stir in the ORZO PASTA and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender.
• Stir in the LEMON JUICE and LEMON ZEST.
• Shred the CHICKEN with forks or your hands, then return it to the pot. Simmer for a few more minutes to heat through.
• Season with SALT and PEPPER to taste.
• Serve warm, garnished with FRESH PARSLEY and FRESH DILL.

Did you make this? We'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️

Recipe Notes

Chicken swap: Boneless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts. They typically cook about 5 minutes faster, so check for doneness a bit earlier.

Pre-cooked chicken option: I like to use rotisserie chicken to save time when I don't want to use fresh chicken. For the best texture, add it near the end of cooking and warm it gently to prevent drying out.

Extra lemon flavor: Use the zest and juice from 2 lemons for even more pronounced lemony brightness.

Using dried herbs: If using dried parsley or dried dill, add them earlier in the simmering process so they have time to hydrate and flavor the broth.

Add leafy greens: Stir in a few handfuls of fresh spinach, kale, or chopped Swiss chard during the last few minutes of simmering for extra color, nutrients, and texture.

Equipment

• chef's knife
• cutting board
• 4.5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot
• stirring utensil

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2158IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

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