Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

5 from 4 votes

Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup loaded with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, leafy greens and orzo pasta simmered in a bright, lemony herb broth. A healthy one-pot dinner the whole family will love!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken orzo soup, easy lemon chicken orzo soup, healthy chicken orzo soup, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, lemon chicken orzo soup recipe, lemon orzo chicken soup, lemon orzo soup, one pot chicken orzo soup

Servings:

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 cup carrots chopped
1 cup celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
8 cups chicken broth
1.5 lbs uncooked chicken breasts
1 tsp each oregano + thyme
1 tsp each salt + pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 lemon zested and juiced
4 cups kale leaves roughly chopped

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken breasts, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Stir the uncooked orzo directly into the soup and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente and the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pot and shred or chop it into bite-size pieces. Return it to the soup.
Stir in the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and chopped kale. Cook just until the kale is wilted.
Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley, Parmesan or feta cheese and an extra squeeze of lemon, if desired.

Notes

Prep Ahead: Chop the onion, carrots, celery and kale up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in airtight containers until ready to cook.

Storage: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The orzo will continue absorbing broth as it sits, so add extra chicken broth as needed when reheating.

Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop or microwave individual portions, adding a splash of broth to loosen the soup.

Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. For the best texture, I recommend freezing the soup without the orzo and adding freshly cooked orzo after thawing. If freezing leftovers with the orzo already added, the pasta will simply be softer when reheated.

Nutrition