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This is the best Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe! This Chicken Orzo Soup is made with tender chicken with onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in a fresh lemon cream broth with fresh parmesan cheese. You will love this lemon chicken soup recipe!
I am full-on obsessed with this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe. The first time I tried it, my jaw dropped. It was creamy with bright lemon notes, tender chicken, orzo pasta, and the perfect amount of saltiness from the parmesan cheese. Then my husband tried it and this is now his favorite chicken soup recipe.
Why do I love this Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe?
- This Lemon Orzo Soup is comfort food in a bowl and is a fun twist on traditional chicken soup.
- This Lemon Chicken Soup has it all — freshness, creaminess, heartiness, and is so full of flavor.
- It is easy to make...especially if you use shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Everyone loves this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Ingredients:
- Chicken — I suggest using rotisserie chicken because it is super tender, flavorful and a huge time saver. You can also use poached chicken in this recipe — just make sure to season it well with salt and pepper!
- Orzo Pasta — is a thin, oval, rice-shaped pasta. It is a popular small pasta in Italy.
- Butter — use salted butter to saute the vegetables in the orzo soup.
- Onion — use a sweet onion or red onion in this chicken orzo soup.
- Fresh Lemon Juice — for the most vibrant, fresh flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice from fresh lemons. For extra lemon flavor, add some lemon zest.
- Chicken Broth — this is what gives the soup depth of flavor. The orzo will soak up the chicken broth so be prepared to add more chicken broth for a thinner soup.
- Heavy cream — this adds rich, creaminess to the soup. May use half-n-half instead of heavy cream.
- Parmesan Cheese — use freshly grated parmesan cheese for easier melting and better flavor.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
Storage:
Store this chicken orzo soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. The orzo pasta will soak up the chicken broth so you may need to add more once it is refrigerated and reheated.
Popular Soup Recipes:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
- Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup
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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Salted Butter
- 1 medium Onion (diced)
- 2 Carrots (diced)
- 2 Celery (chopped)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (finely diced)
- 6 to 8 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Orzo Pasta
- 2 to 3 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken Breast (from rotisserie chicken)
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Italian Parsley (diced)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Melt butter. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute for 7-8 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add orzo and stir to coat with vegetables, about 1 minute. Add 6 cups of chicken broth and stir. Cook for 9-13 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and plump.
- Stir in chicken, fresh lemon juice, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Let the soup heat up and thicken. If you want a thinner soup, you may add more chicken broth. The orzo pasta will soak up the chicken broth so you may need to add more in time.
- Taste for seasonings. If you want extra lemon flavor, add fresh lemon zest. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and any extra freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s almost lemon season in Arizona and this is always my favorite soup. I love the touch of lemon in it. Delicious!
Amazing flavor! We love this soup
I’ve made this twice now and it was great! Perfect for meal prepping because in my opinion it tasted better as it had time for everything to sit together longer in the fridge.
The first time I made it without Parmesan and the second time I made it with, and in my opinion it tasted the same and it was annoying to scrub the melted cheese out of my pot, so next time I’ll be leaving it out again.
oh my goodness, this soup is fantastic! I have been looking for a lemon chicken orzo soup for ages. my daughter’s favorite soup was discontinued from Panera, and we have not been able to replicate it. this. is. better. SO much better. and very easy to make. I chopped the carrots and celery very small, just as daughter likes them, similar to the restaurant’s soup. we added fresh lemon juice (a couple teaspoons) when we heated up leftovers, and we added some chicken broth (as recipe suggests) to her leftovers when reheating bc she likes a thinner soup. I found it to be perfect when reheating without extra broth–to each their own! I made half a batch, used 4 cups of broth and 1 c of shredded chicken. Can’t wait to make it again!
I rarely write comments but this soup is outstanding!! My husband & I love it! Thank you!
This soup is so SO GOOD!!! Oh my goodness, such great flavor and texture and I just love it made with rotisserie chicken and Orzo pasta! I’ve already made this multiple times and my family requests it over and over again. THANK YOU Melissa for such quality recipes; each one feels like treasure I’ve discovered!
Thank you so much sweet Karen! I really appreciate the support and all the love. I am so happy that you love and make my recipes! You are the BEST!!!
I made my second batch tonight – absolutely delicious! I’ve passed it along to my soup making friends!
A hit with my family of picky eaters, everyone loves it! Subtle lemon flavor compliments this savory, yummy soup. Super easy as well, I’ll be making this often!!
Cooking for picky eaters can be so tough! I am so glad that you found this, I really think it’s one of the best recipes for those picky eaters. Thanks for trying it out!
This is absolutely delish! It has just the right amount of everything…..I will make this often as it is pretty easy to prepare and a big hit with the entire family!!!
Hi – I am also new to Modern Honey., This looks and sounds amazing. What do you think of quinoa instead of orzo? Also, for the canned broth…any recommendations?