A cozy, delicious lemony chicken orzo soup to keep you warm! Packed with fresh flavor, protein, and vegetables.
I make this lemony chicken orzo soup multiple times every year, but this is my absolute favorite sick day soup. I immediately crave it when I need something comforting to eat. There's something so comforting about the lemon, broth, chicken, and orzo all together.
This recipe was inspired by my white chicken chili, I wanted a lighter chicken soup to make and this hits the spot every time!
Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken
Chicken broth
Orzo
Spinach
Feta cheese
Lemon
Sweet onion
Green onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Pepper
Salt
Equipment
The only equipment you need for this is a large pot, large enough to hold all of the ingredients while they cook.
Substitutions/variations
- You can use chicken thighs instead of breast if preferred.
- You can use regular or whole wheat orzo, just make sure to read the package directions on whichever you choose for cooking time.
- If you're very sensitive to spice, leave out the red pepper flakes altogether.
Storage
Store the chicken orzo soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. It does not stand up well to freezing. To reheat, just add soup to a saucepan on medium heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 medium sweet onion quartered, thinly sliced
- 8 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 9 cups chicken broth low sodium or regular
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup orzo regular or whole wheat
- 2 cups chopped, packed spinach
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Optional for topping: crumbled feta, chopped green onion, and/or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- If not using rotisserie chicken: Bring a pot of water to a boil, add generous amount of salt and pepper. Once boiling, reduce heat to bring to a simmer and add uncooked chicken breast. Let simmer until cooked through (about 10 minutes). Then, remove chicken breast and shred.
- Pour olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Once hot, add sweet onion and garlic. Sauté until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Then, add chicken broth, chicken, lemon zest, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper to the same pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Then remove lid and bring to a simmer.
- Add in orzo until al dente (about 5 min, read package directions of orzo you are using).
- Stir in spinach, green onion, and feta, stirring until the spinach is wilted.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and serve. Add toppings just before serving.
