Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

5 from 1 vote

This lemon chicken orzo soup is bone-in chicken, vegetables, and pasta, simmered in a delicious broth. A flavorful soup that requires minimal ingredients and cooks in under an hour!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 123kcal

Author: Julie Maestre

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken thighs and legs bone-in skin-off
1 onion finely diced
1 cup carrots finely diced
1 cup celery finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 sprig rosemary fresh
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 lemon juiced
1 cup orzo pasta
8 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Stir the fresh garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the chicken, chicken bouillon powder, poultry seasoning, and 8 cups of water. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
Once it comes to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Once the chicken is fully cooked through, remove the chicken from the pot and add the orzo. The orzo takes about 9 minutes to cook. While the orzo cooks, shred or dice the chicken and discard the bones.
Place the chicken back into the pot, add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

Let the soup cool completely, then place it in an air-tight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Add more water if necessary! You can also freeze it for up to 2 months, however, I recommend omitting the orzo pasta if you plan on freezing it. You can add the orzo pasta once you thaw and reheat the soup.

If you like it very lemony, use 2 lemons instead of one.

Nutrition