This lemon chicken orzo soup is one of my favorite soups to make towards the end of summer. It’s filled with bright, fresh flavors and is hearty enough to get me ready for all the soup recipes I’ll make in the fall.

This lemon chicken soup is healthy, filled with tons of delicious ingredients, and feels like a hug in a bowl!

Ingredients

For this lemon chicken orzo soup, you’ll need:

• Rotisserie chicken – If you’re looking to cut down some time, I highly recommend using pre cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken)! However, you could use boneless skinless chicken breasts in place of cooked chicken too!
• Vegetables – For this recipe you’ll need carrots, celery, shallot, and garlic!
• Orzo pasta – You can’t really have lemon chicken orzo soup without orzo pasta!
• Broth – I’ll typically use both chicken broth and vegetable broth in my lemon chicken orzo soup. You can also use chicken stock in place of chicken broth!
• Lemon – For this lemon chicken orzo soup, you’ll need both freshly squeezed lemon juice as well as lemon slices! You can even use some lemon zest – but that’s up to you and how lemony you want your soup.
• Butter – You get more flavor from fresh veggies when you sauté them in butter!
• Olive oil – The oil will help to prevent the butter from burning while you’re sautéing the veggies for this chicken soup.
• Spices – You’ll need salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried parsley for this lemon chicken orzo soup.
• Fresh dill – I recommend using fresh dill for this recipe! You’ll get a lot more flavor from it as opposed to dried dill.

I’ll sometimes add in some parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes – but I don’t do it every time which is why I didn’t add it above. However, both are great ingredients to use in this lemon chicken orzo soup and I do recommend using them at least once!

How to make lemon chicken orzo soup

This lemon chicken orzo soup is so easy to make!

First, you’ll need to chop up the vegetables. Alternatively, you can purchase pre-cut vegetables from the store to cut down on time (and to save a few dishes from dirtying).

In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the shallot, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes scraping the golden bits on the bottom of the pan as you go! After 5 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.

Next, add the seasonings and all of the broth. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo pasta and cook until the orzo is al dente (this should take about 8-10 minutes).

Reduce the heat to low, add in the rotisserie chicken, lemon juice, and fresh dill. Taste and season with some additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

Have a question not answered below? Feel free to leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer ASAP.

Am I able to use frozen vegetables?

You can! The only thing I’d say is don’t add them until the end (around the same time as you’d add the chicken). The last thing you want is mushy vegetables in your soup!

How can I store this lemon chicken orzo soup?

Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and either transfer it to an airtight container or keep in the dutch oven. It should keep in the fridge for up to six days!

Can I make this orzo chicken soup ahead of time?

Absolutely! The flavors are just as good the following day as they are the day you make this lemon chicken orzo soup.

On that note, the orzo pasta does soak up a lot of the broth while it sits so you may need to add more to get that desired soup consistency.

How do I reheat this lemon orzo chicken soup?

Feel free to reheat your lemon chicken orzo soup in a large pot over medium heat. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes, just be sure to stir occasionally!

Alternatively, you can reheat smaller batches in the microwave in 30 second intervals.

Regardless of how you decide to reheat the soup, you may have to add a bit more broth as the orzo pasta will continue to soak up the liquids overtime.

Why do people put lemon in soup?

Lemon juice is typically added to soup because of its bright, tangy, acidic flavor. The notes you get from lemon juice enhance the rest of the flavors and provides a much needed burst of freshness!

Looking for more soup recipes?

Look no further! Here are some of my favorite soup recipes on the blog:

• Chicken tomatillo soup
• Chicken noodle soup
• French onion soup

Heavenly Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

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• Author: Kayla

Ingredients

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• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 box orzo noodles
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 shallot, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 4 TBSP fresh dill, chopped
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 TSP each: dried parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and pepper

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Instructions

1. Begin by chopping the vegetables. Once chopped, set to the side.
2. In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the shallot, carrots, and celery.
3. Sauté for about 5 minutes scraping the golden bits on the bottom of the pan as you go! After 5 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.
4. Next, add the seasonings and all of the broth. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo pasta and cook until the orzo is al dente (this should take about 8-10 minutes).
5. Reduce the heat to low, add in the rotisserie chicken, lemon juice, and fresh dill. Taste and season with some additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!