There’s something so comforting about a warm, creamy bowl of lemon chicken orzo soup. It’s the perfect balance of rich, velvety broth, tender chicken, bright citrusy notes, and hearty orzo pasta. This soup is easy to make and packed with fresh ingredients that bring out the best flavors. Carrots and onions add a touch of sweetness, while garlic and Italian seasoning infuse the broth with depth. A splash of fresh lemon juice gives the soup its signature zing, and a bit of heavy cream ties everything together into a luxurious, cozy soup. Whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or meal prepping for the week, this creamy lemon chicken orzo soup is sure to be a new favorite in your kitchen!
Ingredients for creamy lemon chicken orzo soup:
Carrots-
2 carrots, sliced or quartered if it’s a large carrot. Since you are making soup, you want the carrots to fit in a spoon with some broth and chicken so you don’t want them to be too big.
Onion-
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup). I find that onions these days are really big, so I usually only end up using half of an onion to get 1/2 of a cup.
Garlic-
3 cloves Garlic, finely minced. Please use fresh garlic, not the pre-minced kind you find in a jar. Fresh garlic has a far superior taste over the jarred stuff.
Italian Seasoning-
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
All-purpose Flour-
2 tablespoons of flour. This will act as a thickening agent in the soup to create a creamy broth.
Chicken Broth-
48 oz. of chicken broth or chicken stock. I like Swanson’s brand, but feel free to use your favorite kind. You also might want to have a little extra on hand for leftovers. The orzo tends to absorb the broth, so when you heat the soup up, it is on the thick side. I find that adding more broth when re-heating the soup helps keep it soup-like.
Fresh Lemons-
Juice of 2 large lemons. Fresh lemon juice adds a brightness and lemony flavor to the soup that I just love.
Bay leaf-
1 Bay leaf
Chicken Breast-
2 breasts of boneless and skinless chicken. You can also substitute with pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Just shred up 2 breasts and add it to the soup when you would add the chicken breasts. You could also use chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Orzo Pasta-
1 cup orzo pasta. Orzo is pasta, not rice. Even though it looks very similar to the grain, it’s really a tiny rice-shaped pasta.
Heavy Cream-
1 cup heavy whipping cream. Do not substitute milk or half and half. It will not thicken the same and the flavor will be less rich.
Fresh Italian Leaf Parsley-
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, roughly chopped. You can also substitute with fresh basil as well.
How to make this creamy chicken soup:
Prep Ingredients
When making any recipe, I like to see what I can do ahead of time to prep before the actual cooking begins. In this case, we’re making soup so it’s really just about chopping some veggies and squeezing the lemons. Get a large cutting board and a sharp knife. Begin by finely dicing a small onion. You only need half a cup so you may have some left over onion. Next, chop the carrots. Because carrots vary in size, it’s up to you how big the slices are. If the carrot is really big, I will quarter the carrot so they aren’t too big. I’m looking for the veggies to fit on my soup spoon, so I don’t like a big round carrot. After that, mince the garlic. Be sure to cut the garlic into very small pieces. You can do this with a knife or use a garlic press if you prefer. Lastly, juice the lemons. squeeze the fresh lemon juice into a small bowl and set aside until it’s time to add it to the soup.
Let’s get cooking!
Warm a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. To that pot add a couple tablespoons of butter and some olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions and carrots. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally, the onions will be softened and the carrots will start to cook down.
Next, add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour. Stir this to combine. The flour will make everything stick together and be a thick paste. Continue cooking for about one minute. You do this so that the flour doesn’t taste raw, it also helps thicken the soup.
Now it’s time to slowly add the chicken broth. Stir this mixture until the flour has dissolved. Add the chicken breasts, lemon juice, and bay leaf. Stir and then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once the soup is boiling, you can turn the flame to low heat and simmer the soup for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Shred the chicken
After the allotted time and the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board or plate. Using two forks, pull the chicken apart and shred into smaller pieces. Alternatively, you could just cut the chicken into bite-size chunks. Add the shredded chicken back to the soup pot.
Finish cooking
After the chicken has been added, pour in the cream and the orzo pasta. Stir and bring the soup up to a low boil and cook for 10-12 minutes until the orzo is tender. If you prefer to have a bite to your orzo, then cook only until it’s al dente. About 10 minutes or so. Be sure to stir often because the orzo can stick to the bottom of the pot otherwise. It also can clump together so stirring avoids both of these problems! Once the orzo is tender, it’s time to taste. You may need to add some salt and black pepper. Once the seasoning is to your liking, finish the soup with fresh herbs. I usually add a tablespoon of fresh minced Italian parsley. It brightens up the soup and makes it taste fresh.
Serve and enjoy!
Ladle to soup into bowls and serve while hot! I like to serve it with a loaf of crusty bread or crackers. Sometimes I serve extra lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the top of the soup. I love soup, but the best part is leftover soup. Store any leftover soup in an airtight container. The orzo will absorb some of the broth, so when you go to reheat the soup I recommend adding some extra broth so that it’s a more brothy soup. You can skip this step and it will have a creamy texture, with less broth. Both ways are equally delicious!
While it’s still soup season, I highly recommend making this comforting soup. With minimal cook time, you can have a bowl of this hot soup in under an hour. It’s the best way to stay warm and cozy on a chilly day. It’s become my new favorite soup recipe this winter and I hope you like it as much as I do. If you make it, leave a review and let me know!
More Recipes to Try!
Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup
This creamy lemon chicken soup combines classic ingredients with fresh lemon juice and orzo to give you comfort in a bowl! It comes together fast and tastes delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 carrots sliced, quarter if large
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp. Flour
- 48 oz chicken stock
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 breasts of chicken
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 cup Heavy cream (do not substitute)
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped or basil
Instructions
- Using a large soup pot or Dutch oven, warm the pot up slightly, then add in 2 tbsp of butter & 1 tbsp. of oil.
- Once the butter has melted, add the onions and the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. The onions will be translucent and the carrots will have started to soften.
- Next, add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the chicken broth and stir until the flour dissolves.
- Add lemon juice, bay leaf, and chicken breasts.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer about 30-45 min until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove the chicken from pot to a plate and shred into smaller pieces and add back to the pot.
- Add cream and orzo. Bring back up to a low boil and cook for about 10 -12 minutes until orzo is tender. Make sure to stir occasionally so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot or clump together.
- Taste and add salt & pepper as needed.
- Finish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
For any leftovers, orzo tends to absorb the broth, so you may need to add more broth when reheating if you still want a soup like consistency. Otherwise it will just be thick and creamy.
Recommended Products
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KooK Ceramic Cereal Bowls, Microwave, Dishwasher and Freezer Safe, Porcelain Dishes for Soup, Pasta, Salad, Oatmeal, Deep Interior, 20 oz, Set of 6, (White) -
KitchenAid Classic Soup Ladle, One Size, Black 2 -
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Garlic Press -
Kirecoo Stainless Steel Stock Pot - 8 Quart Heavy Duty Induction Cooking Pot with Visible Lid for Pasta, Soup, Spaghetti, Nonstick Thick Bottom Big Stockpot, Deep Cookware for Canning, Boiling, Simmer
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 585Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 615mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 4gSugar: 18gProtein: 25g
**I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe. However always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don’t forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
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