Name: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1 cup carrots (chopped); 1 cup onions (chopped finely); 1 cup celery (chopped); 1 clove garlic (minced); 2 teaspoons lemon zest; 1 teaspoon fresh herbs ((thyme or rosemary)); 1 tablespoon all purpose flour; 8 cups chicken stock; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 cups chicken ((rotisserie chicken works great!)); 1 cup cooked orzo; 2 cups fresh spinach ((chopped))

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We love this 20 Minute Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup in winter or summer! This super fast and fresh soup is healthy and full of flavor, citrusy notes, tender chicken, and comforting orzo. We use a couple tips and tricks to give this soup the best flavor, and we’re so excited to share them. These 2 key ingredients really bring out the fresh bright lemon flavor!

Best Lemon Orzo Soup

We love anything lemon. Savory or sweet, doesn’t matter. More lemon, more flavor! This soup takes about 20 minutes to toss together. You can use left over chicken, turkey or just buy one of those store bought rotisserie chickens. Rotisserie chickens are the chicken gift that keeps on giving as far as soup is concerned.

Making Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup:

Start with your basic mix of mirepoix, which is a combo of onions, carrots and celery. Saute in a little bit of olive oil until fragrant.
To that, a bit of lemon zest, fresh garlic, and herbs (fresh thyme, or rosemary). Chop the herbs finely. Saute for another minute or two.
- Be sure to wash the herbs well, and remove the leafs from the stem before chopping.
- I personally love the flavor of rosemary with lemon but thyme is great, too. Chef’s choice!
Add chicken stock, cooked orzo, and cooked chicken. Allow to simmer on low for about 5-1o minutes.
- At this point, I like to add in my secret ingredient, which is a rind of parmesan. It really adds some depth to the flavor. I also like to add a couple sprigs of rosemary (or thyme) for extra fresh, herby flavor! I pull them out as soon as the soup is done.
Ready to serve!

Tips for Cooking Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

Orzo: When you make any soup with pasta or noodles, I always recommend cooking it separately before you add it to your soup. This will prevent the orzo from absorbing all of the broth, and it helps keep the starch content down.
If you have leftovers, keep some chicken stock on reserve to add to it.
You can also keep the cooked orzo separate from the soup, with orzo on the bottom of the soup bowl, and pour the broth over it.
I like to add a rind of parmesan to my soup broth as it simmers. It adds depth, richness, and the parmesan ties in so well with the lemon. You can find rinds of parmesan at Whole Foods for about $3.
While the soup simmers, add in a whole (washed) sprig of your herb of choice (thyme or rosemary). It really helps infuse the aromatics of the herb!

Storing & Serving Lemon Soup

If you have leftovers, simply store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I like to keep the cooked orzo separate for better leftovers.
- The orzo can absorb alot of broth, so by keeping the cooked orzo separate from the soup, you won’t get starchy leftovers. Just combine the 2 and microwave in a microwave safe dish in 30 second increments.
This soup can be frozen.
- I love to use my souper cubes for frozen soup portions for nights I don’t feel like cooking.
If you want to add more vegetables to this soup, add in a handful of fresh chopped spinach right before serving.
I love to serve this with a homemade bread. Focaccia, cheesy biscuits, or even savory scones pair so great with this fresh tasting, citrusy soup! You can even top this with homemade croutons which my family goes crazy for.

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Hope you enjoy this one as much as we do! – Kathi and Rachel