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Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo Recipe

4.9 from 500 reviews

A bright and comforting Lemon Chicken Soup featuring tender chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, and tangy lemon juice, combined with orzo pasta for a hearty, flavorful meal. This versatile recipe offers stovetop, crockpot, or Instant Pot methods to suit your kitchen preferences.

Ingredients

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Soup Base

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups diced carrots
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

Pasta and Finishing

  • 1 cup dry orzo pasta
  • ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté diced carrots, chopped onion, celery, and minced garlic for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
  2. Add seasonings and chicken: To the pot, add black pepper, dried parsley, dried thyme, salt, bay leaves, chicken breasts, and chicken broth. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
  3. Simmer the soup: Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, which should take about 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors.
  4. Remove chicken and bay leaves: Increase heat to medium-high, remove the chicken breasts from the soup and set aside. Then remove and discard the bay leaves from the broth.
  5. Cook orzo pasta in the soup: Add the orzo pasta to the pot and stir. Cook the orzo for half the recommended time on the package, as it will continue cooking off the heat.
  6. Shred the chicken: While orzo cooks, use two forks to shred the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Finish the soup: Remove the soup from heat. Stir the shredded chicken and fresh lemon juice into the pot. Combine everything well and serve hot.
  8. Optional pasta tip: For firmer pasta texture, cook the orzo separately and add it directly to individual servings when ready to eat.

Notes

  • This recipe offers stovetop, crockpot, and Instant Pot adaptations for versatile preparation.
  • Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright and tangy flavor.
  • Low sodium broth allows you to control the saltiness of the soup.
  • Shredding chicken with forks helps maintain tender texture that soaks up the broth.
  • The orzo cooks in the broth partially to absorb the soup’s flavor; adjust cooking time if preferring firmer pasta.
  • Bay leaves should always be removed before serving to avoid an unpleasant taste.

Keywords: lemon chicken soup, chicken soup with lemon, orzo chicken soup, healthy chicken soup, easy chicken soup recipe