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    HOME » Recipes » Soup & Salads

    Published: Feb 11, 2022 · Modified: Jun 30, 2023· This website generates income via ads · by Mary

    Recipe for Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup for Two

    Jump to Recipe

    Do you know those thick, hearty soups that get you through a winter storm or a traditional chicken noodle soup for those sick days? Well, this is not one of those soups. This soup has a lighter, lemony broth with chicken, vegetables, and orzo pasta. This lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is NOT avgolemono soup as it has no egg yolks! You can eat it all year long, no matter the season, consider it a summer comfort food. The bright lemony flavors have me imagining a light lunch on a sunny balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. In my mind anyway. You don't need to book a trip to Tuscany because this Recipe for Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup for Two can be on the table in 30 minutes. My easy recipe serves two or you can double it for next-day leftovers. The fresh lemon juice combined with the tender orzo pasta will make this one of your favorite Panera-bread-inspired soups!

    Two bowls of Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Panera Style with lemon slices and buttered bread.

    INGREDIENTS FOR GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP

    Ingredients to make Orzo lemon soup.

    INGREDIENT NOTES

    • Chicken broth  - (or chicken stock, but your soup will be a little more chicken flavor forward which might overpower the lemon. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed)
    • Orzo pasta 
    • Cooked chicken - (suggestions)
      • Shredded rotisserie chicken
      • Baked boneless chicken thighs
      • Baked boneless skinless chicken breasts
      • Leftover cooked chicken
      • Canned chicken
    • Chicken base - I like the Better Than Bouillon brand Low-Sodium Roasted Chicken base.
    • Baby spinach - fresh is best!
    • Fresh thyme - (if using dried thyme use ¼ -½ teaspoon depending on taste. Dried thyme is stronger than fresh thyme.)
    • Parmesan cheese - grated

    INSTRUCTIONS: RECIPE for GREEK LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP for TWO

    Skillet with olive oil.

    Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

    Skillet with carrots, celery, and peppers add to the oil.

    Add the carrots, celery, and onion.

    Vegetables cooking in the large skillet.

    Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables begin to soften.

    Cooked vegetables with bay leaf added to skillet.

    Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for an additional minute.

    Broth being poured into the skillet with the cooked vegetables.

    Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add four cups of broth.

    Vegetable ans chicken broth cooking in the skillet.

    Bring to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to medium-low.

    Orzo, chicken base, and lemon juice added to the skillet with the vegetables.

    Add the orzo pasta, the chicken base, and the lemon juice to the pot.

    Soup is simmering on the stove to let the orzo cook.

    Cook for 10-12 minutes until the orzo is al dente.

    Cooked chicken has been added to the skillet with the soup.

    Add the diced or shredded chicken. Reduce the heat to low.

    Salt, pepper, and lemon zest added to the skillet with the soup.

    Add the fresh thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional couple of minutes.

    Fresh ababy spinach added to the soup.

    Add the baby spinach to the pot and stir until the spinach is wilted.

    Spinach has wilted in the hot soup.

    Taste the soup, then season with additional salt and pepper as desired.

    Finished soup ladled into a soup bowl.

    Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls.

    Finished soup with Parmesan cheese  and lemon slices.

    Garnish with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese, and serve with garlic bread.

    Video:

    RECIPE FAQ'S

    Is Orzo Lemon Chicken Soup Healthy?

    One serving of Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup has approximately 21 grams of protein, 135% of the daily values of Vitamin A, as well as decent amounts of potassium, vitamin B, Calcium, and Iron. It contains 994mg of sodium if made using low-sodium chicken broth and chicken base. For those on special diets, always follow the recommendations of your doctor or your dietitian.

    (Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.)

    Can I make this lemon chicken orzo soup recipe in my slow cooker?

    Yes! If you have a long time to cook the soup, you could prepare it in a slow cooker to bring out the lemon and garlic flavors even more. I recommend adding all the ingredients except the spinach and lemon zest to the slow cooker and setting it for low cook for 4 hours.

    Does Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup freeze well?

    Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe freezes well, but as with any soup containing pasta, it will absorb the liquid from the soup and become mushy. If you are making this with freezing in mind, I would cook the orzo separately, adding it to the soup when eaten. I like to use little snack-size zip-lock bags to freeze the pasta. Just tape them to the top of the container and add them when serving this delicious soup.

    Safe storage if not freezing:

    I would recommend keeping Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Panera Style in an airtight container in the refrigerator for just one day at the most, as the chicken is already cooked. That is another reason that my scaled-down delicious recipe for two servings is so great! This soup only takes 30 minutes to make, so save your freezer space for ice cream! You're welcome.

    Bowl of lemon chicken soup.

    Recipe for Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup for Two

    Panera-bread-inspired soup with lemon, chicken, orzo pasta, tender chicken, vegetables, and a lemony chicken broth.
    4.91 from 109 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course
    Soup
    Servings 2
    Budget
    Frugal

    Equipment

    • 1 Large pot

    Ingredients
      

    For the soup:

    • 1 tbs Olive oil
    • 1 medium Carrot
    • 1 stalk Celery
    • 1 small Onion or onion powder
    • 2 cloves Garlic or garlic powder
    • 1 Bay leaf or 2 small bay leaves
    • 3 cups Chicken broth - low sodium or chicken stock
    • ⅓ cup Orzo pasta uncooked
    • 1 Juice of a lemon fresh squeezed
    • 1 cup Chicken white or dark meat, diced or shredded
    • ½ teaspoon Chicken base
    • 1 Zest of a lemon
    • 1 cup Baby spinach fresh
    • 1 sprig Fresh thyme
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Black pepper freshly ground

    For the garnish:

    • 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese grated
    • 4 Lemon slices
    • Crusty bread on the side

    Instructions
     

    • Place a large soup pot over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of the pot. Add the diced carrot, celery, and onion.
    • Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for an additional minute. You do not want the vegetables to caramelize, you are just looking to soften them.
    • Over medium-high heat add four cups of broth (or stock) to the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to medium-low.
    • Add the orzo pasta, the chicken base, and the lemon juice to the pot. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
    • Add the diced or shredded chicken. Reduce the heat to low. Add the fresh thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional two minutes.
    • Add the baby spinach to the pot and stir until the spinach is wilted. Taste the soup then season with salt and pepper as needed.
    • Serve the fresh soup immediately in bowls, garnished with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese, with a slice of crusty French bread on the side.

    Notes

    Nutritional calculation does not include bread.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 21gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 994mgPotassium: 829mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 6726IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 3mg

    Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.

    We take every effort to ensure that the estimated meal cost per serving is accurate. We use a meal cost analysis application that estimates the cost of a recipe based on groceries purchased at a Walmart store in my geographical area, northern California.

    Nutritional calculation does not include bread.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nicole says

      July 01, 2023 at 7:31 am

      5 stars
      I made a double batch of this soup so that I could feed the entire family. I also used gluten-free elbow macaroni in place of the orzo. It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        July 01, 2023 at 7:34 am

        Glad that worked out for you. It is a very forgiving recipe. Thanks!

        Reply
    2. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

      June 30, 2023 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      I love orzo and I love lemon so this is the soup for me!! It's so bright and flavorful!

      Reply
    3. Cpg says

      June 29, 2023 at 4:32 am

      5 stars
      Delicious and hearty soup. Highly recommend 5 stars

      Reply
    4. Stephanie says

      June 29, 2023 at 4:03 am

      5 stars
      This lemon chicken orzo soup is light and refreshing - the perfect summer soup for our patio dinners this summer. As always, thank you for including detailed instructions - the soup was delish!

      Reply
    5. Andréa Janssen says

      June 29, 2023 at 3:14 am

      5 stars
      I love a great bowl of lemon chicken soup, mostly make it with rice. But it was really delicious with orzo. I'm certainly going to prepare it more often. Thank you!

      Reply
    6. tiannaskitchen says

      November 04, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      this sounds delicious, i was just introduced into orzo pasta this summer and hadn't thought of putting it in chicken soup.

      Reply

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