Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup- In a light lemony broth, this dish is packed with robust vegetables and succulent chicken. In a bowl, it’s PURE COMFORT!
This soup is the kind of comforting lunch pick-me-up I want on a workday. It’s filling enough to keep me warm on a cool evening while still being good enough to offer to visitors. This dish for lemon chicken orzo soup is light, healthful, and comforting. It’s made with simple, common items and is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family! This soup is like sunshine in a bowl, and it’s ready to make your day brighter! It’s made with simple, common items and is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family! This orzo and lemon chicken soup is easy to make.
This Lemon Chicken Soup will quickly become your new favorite chicken noodle soup:
Without the use of cream, the foundation is silky smooth, creamy, and velvety. But, despite being creamy, it’s still brothy enough to slurp, like any excellent Chicken Noodle Soup should be. It’s salty and thick from the chicken, but the lemon punch brings it to life in a way that conventional Chicken Noodle can’t. And, unlike most brothy soups, which leave you craving a sandwich an hour later, this one is chunky, packed with fresh veggies, chicken, and whole wheat pasta, so you’ll feel like you just ate a whole meal. Because you took the initiative.
Soup That Makes You Feel Good:
If you have a cold or are just recovering from the flu, this soup is a must-try (knock on wood).
With the substantial amount of spinach, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and other vegetables, it even appears to be a cleansing soup to me.
It’s a hearty soup that’s wonderful for unwinding after a hard day – with a big bowl of it and a thick piece of fresh French bread smothered in butter. It’s ok if I do.
Soup with Lemon Chicken and Orzo:
When autumn arrives, all I want for dinner is soup! Soups of every variety. Chicken noodle soup is one of my favorite soups, but I wanted to attempt a new twist on it, something a bit more colorful.
And what taste is more vivid than lemon? Plus, lemon goes great with chicken, especially when combined with a Greek herb blend and fresh spinach.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I enjoyed this Lemon Chicken and Spinach Orzo Soup. It was a soup that my entire family appreciated, so it will certainly be included to our dinner rotation.
It’s one of those one-pot, simple-to-make soups that you’ll want to eat all winter long.
The Components:
- Carrots, celery, and onion are a delicious combination. This crucial trio sets the tone for the soup’s taste straight away. These, in my opinion, make chicken soup taste more like chicken soup.
- Basil, dried. This soup’s fresh aromas blend wonderfully with basil.
- All-Purpose Flour is a type of flour that may be used for a variety of purposes. To produce a more creamy lemon chicken orzo soup, thicken the soup (without the need for actual cream).
- Broth made from chicken. The liquid foundation is flavorful, warm, and nourishing. Of course, homemade is best, but if you don’t have time (which I seldom do), don’t worry. There are a lot of other great tastes in this soup.
- Breasts of chicken In this soup, tender, properly cooked chicken breasts are delectable. Chicken also adds a lot of satisfying, lean protein. If you like, you may prepare this soup with chicken thighs.
- Orzo is a kind of pasta. A tiny, quick-cooking pasta with a rice-like appearance. It’s undoubtedly delicious and perfect for soups. For extra health advantages, I chose whole wheat orzo. Because orzo can get mushy in soup if cooked for too long, it’s critical to stick to the cooking times and not overcook it.
- Spinach is a leafy green vegetable. This soup would benefit greatly from the inclusion of this superfood. Spinach has a high amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Juice from a lemon. There is lemon in this chicken soup, and you do not want to leave it out! A liberal squeeze of lemon juice brightens the taste and makes the soup seem almost purifying.
- Dill is in season right now. The soup is herbaceous and vibrant thanks to a handful of fresh dill.
How To Make Soup with Lemon Chicken and Orzo:
This soup is quite simple to prepare. The following is a list of the steps:
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper after pounding it.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate when it has been seared on both sides in the saucepan.
- Cook the vegetables in a skillet.
- Return the chicken to the pot with the stock and seasonings.
- Bring to a low boil, then stir in the orzo and parmesan rind.
- Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and the pasta is soft.
- Remove the rind off.
- Return the diced chicken to the soup with the lemon juice and zest, as well as the spinach.
Notes And Suggestions For The Recipe:
- Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
- Prepare with previously cooked/rotisserie chicken, I recommend cooking it at the same time as the orzo to avoid overcooking it.
- Use a low-sodium chicken broth.
- As the orzo soaks up the chicken stock, you may need to add more to leftovers. Although this soup may be frozen, the orzo puffs up. If you want to make the complete dish ahead of time and freeze it, defrost the orzo beforehand.
- If you really want to amp up the lemon flavor, grate some lemon zest into the mix.
Is it possible to make it with rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken?
Yes, indeed. You may also use leftover chicken breasts or thighs from the rotisserie. If you do this, wait until the last few minutes of cooking to add the cooked chicken.
Is it possible to make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, indeed. If you want to prepare it in the crock pot, follow these instructions:
- Sauté the vegetables first, then add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker, up to and including the parmesan rind (keep chicken whole).
- Cook for roughly 5 hours on low. Remove the chicken from the equation.
- Cook the orzo in the broth over high heat until it is soft, about 20 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan, along with the lemon zest and juice and the spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted (should wilt within a minute or two).
Substitutions And Tips:
- This soup can also be made with different little pasta shapes. Small shells, castellan, and ditalini are all good options. As needed, adjust the cooking time in the recipe.
- You may replace the spinach with kale if you want to make a lemon chicken orzo soup with kale. Because kale is harder than spinach, it will require more time to cook.
- Carrots, celery, and onion may be chopped and stored in the refrigerator up to one day ahead of time.
Storage Suggestions:
- To keep. Refrigerate soup for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- To be heated again. Warm leftovers in the microwave or in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- to halt the freezing process Soup made with orzo may be frozen. Freeze soup for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup- In a light lemony broth, this dish is packed with robust vegetables and succulent chicken. In a bowl, it's PURE COMFORT! This soup is the kind of comforting lunch pick-me-up I want on a workday.
Ingredients
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 medium sliced onion
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 1.5 pound chicken breasts, raw
- 1 cup orzo, uncooked
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon parsley, minced, or to taste
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
In a large soup pot, sauté the celery, carrots, and onions in the butter and oil for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat.
Fry for approximately 30 seconds after adding the garlic, then add the flour and cook for another minute or two.
Stir in the flour until it is completely dissolved, then add the Italian spice and chicken. Toss the soup in a pot with enough water to cover it and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the soup (lid slightly ajar). Simmer for 15 minutes.
Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Because it likes to cling to the bottom of the pot, I keep the lid off and stir it frequently.
Remove the chicken from the saucepan and chop it up, then return it to the pot. Add the lemon juice (you may want to add more than I recommend - I didn't want the soup to be overly lemony for certain people), parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.
Notes
If you want a more chunky soup, use 8 cups of broth. If you want a soup with extra broth, use 10 cups.
As leftovers, this is fantastic. Because orzo tends to absorb up moisture, you may need to thin it down a little while reheating.
You could simply turn this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with white beans or any vegetarian protein.
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