Description
This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender shredded chicken, vibrant vegetables, and zesty lemon juice, all simmered together with orzo pasta in a savory chicken broth. Perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal that brightens up any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Protein and Pasta
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup orzo pasta
Finishing
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the finely diced onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic; cook and stir for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Add Chicken and Broth: Increase the heat to high. Pour in the chicken broth, add the raw chicken breasts, fresh thyme sprigs, dried bay leaf, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer: Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the soup simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Shred Chicken and Add Orzo: Remove the chicken breasts from the soup onto a plate. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add the dry orzo pasta.
- Cook Orzo: Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until the orzo pasta is cooked al dente or to your preferred tenderness, about 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add Lemon Juice: Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the soup before serving to ensure no woody bits remain.
Notes
- Be sure to check the chicken’s internal temperature with a meat thermometer to avoid undercooking.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can mash a few spoonfuls of soup with cooked orzo to add body.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright, tangy flavor.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the orzo pasta with gluten-free pasta or rice.
