Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup (Print version)

Bright Mediterranean soup with tender chicken, zesty lemon, and orzo pasta. Comforting, nourishing, and ready in 45 minutes.

# What you'll need:

→ Protein

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Pantry & Grains

09 - 3/4 cup orzo pasta
10 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Seasonings

12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 3/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional

16 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
04 - Add orzo and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is just tender.
05 - Add cooked chicken, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in dill, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning and lemon juice to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It turns leftovers into something that tastes intentional and special, not like you're scraping by.
  • The lemon wakes up your taste buds without being sharp or sour, just clean and sunny.
  • Orzo soaks up the broth and gets plump and silky, almost like tiny grains of risotto.
  • You can have it on the table in under an hour, even if you're moving slowly.
02 -
  • Don't add the lemon juice too early or it can turn bitter when it boils, stir it in at the end when the heat is gentle.
  • If you're making this ahead, cook the orzo separately and add it to each bowl before ladling in the hot soup, otherwise it swells up and turns mushy.
  • Taste before you add all the salt because store bought broth and rotisserie chicken can already be pretty salty.
03 -
  • Zest the lemon before you juice it, it's almost impossible to zest a juiced lemon and you'll lose all that fragrant oil.
  • If you're using dried dill instead of fresh, cut the amount in half because dried herbs are more concentrated.
  • Let the soup rest for five minutes before serving, the flavors meld together and the orzo finishes soaking up the broth.
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