The Best Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is chock-full of vegetables, orzo pasta, shredded chicken, and fresh herbs. Turn to it for an easy one-pot, 30-minute meal for weeknight dinners, or enjoy it as a healthy meal prep option!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30 minute meal, chicken, dinner, easy dinner, lemon, lunch, one pot recipe, pasta, soup, weeknight dinner
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Let cook until the vegetables soften and are beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir often not to burn.
Add garlic, salt and thyme, and cook for another 1 minute.
Add orzo and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Then add 6 cups chicken stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 8 minutes. Tip: Add the other 2 cups of broth if you like your soup more brothy.
Add shredded chicken and kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, remove the bay leaves, add lemon juice (zest if using), heavy cream and dill. Stir to combine. Taste, adjust the salt if needed. You can also sprinkle in some freshly grated parmesan for a cheesy flavor.
Spoon into a bowl and enjoy while hot. Serve with bread or on its own.
Notes
To Store: Refrigerate soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To Reheat: Rewarm leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
To Freeze: Orzo soup can be frozen. Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Pro tip: If you really want a more intense pop of lemon in here, I suggest grating in some lemon zest. You can also increase the amount of lemon juice to suit your tastes and serve it with lemon slices right in the bowls as well.
Make ahead: Yes, but you may not want to use the one-pot method in that case since the orzo will soak up the broth over time. If you plan on having a lot left over or are making it well ahead of time, I recommend cooking the orzo separately and adding it into each bowl when warming it up.