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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon chicken orzo soup is a Mediterranean-style broth soup where orzo cooks right in the pot for a tender, spoonable texture. Optional avgolemono-style egg-lemon tempering creates a silky, creamy finish with bright lemon and herbs.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and soup base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 3 celery sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 8 cup chicken broth
  • 1 eggs optional
  • 0.33 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, stirring until the onion turns translucent and the carrots begin to soften.
Simmer with chicken
  1. Add garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant. Add chicken broth and chicken breast, then simmer for 18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Shred chicken and cook the orzo
  1. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the broth. Bring the soup back to a simmer and add orzo, cooking 8-9 minutes until tender.
Finish with lemon (avgolemono optional)
  1. For avgolemono style, whisk eggs with fresh lemon juice. Slowly ladle hot broth into the eggs while whisking, then stir the mixture back into the pot to thicken slightly.
  2. For regular style, stir in fresh lemon juice and lemon zest directly into the pot. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer and do not boil hard after adding the eggs (if using) so it stays smooth.
Add greens and herbs
  1. Add baby spinach and stir until wilted, then add fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: If you choose avgolemono style, ladle hot broth into the egg mixture slowly while whisking to prevent curdling, then keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (the egg finish may slightly change texture). For a lighter option, use low-sodium chicken broth and reduce added salt.