My Light Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is simply delicious. Utilizing fresh, nutrient-dense ingredients this soup is something you can feel good about fueling yourself with–and your family! Perfect for a chilly day, tender shredded chicken breast combines with orzo in a lemony broth that is so good you should expect to add this to your winter soup rotation. Even better? This recipe is “lightened-up” and will keep you from having to reach for those sodium-packed canned soups. Get your favorite show ready to watch on the TV or a good book, and curl up under the covers with my Light Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. Is there anything better?
What you need to make my Light Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Light butter
- Olive oil
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- All purpose flour
- Dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Chicken stock
- Lemon
- Chicken breast
- Orzo
- Fresh dill (optional)
How to make this Light Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
To start, melt the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Follow by adding the carrots, celery and onion and cook until tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the oregano and kosher salt and toss to combine. Now, sprinkle the flour in the pot, and incorporate it into the vegetables.
Cook for 1 minute, and then add the chicken broth and juice of the lemon. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, and then add the chicken breast. Cover the lid and reduce the heat to simmer, and cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot and cut into pieces (or shred). Add the cooked chicken back to the pot, along with the uncooked orzo. cook the soup uncovered for 20 minutes until the pasta is cooked and consistency of the soup is to your liking. Garnish with fresh dill, if desired. Taste for seasoning.
Soups–from someone who is not a soup person!
I admit that I am normally not the biggest soup fan. The only soups I really enjoy are those that have lots of texture to them. I’ve worked hard to make sure my soup recipes feel decadent and satisfying. For example, this soup could easily serve as a main course because of all of the protein you are getting from the addition of chicken. However, soups also pair beautifully with a crisp salad for a light lunch, or a grilled cheese or sandwich for a filling dinner. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
If you’re like me and boring soups aren’t your thing, try one of my filling and flavorful soup recipes below:
- Lightened-Up Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
- Tortellini Soup with Chicken Sausage and Spinach
- Creamy Potato Leek Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Corn Soup
Light Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup
Equipment
- dutch oven or soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp light butter, used: Land o Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast, raw
- 4 oz orzo, dry, uncooked
- fresh dill, optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook until tender.
- Then, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute
- Add the oregano and kosher salt and toss to combine. sprinkle the flour in the pot, and incorporate it into the vegetables. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the chicken broth and juice of the lemon.
- Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, and then add the chicken breast. Cover the lid and reduce the heat to simmer, and cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and cut into pieces (or shred).
- Add the cooked chicken back to the pot, along with the uncooked orzo.
- Cook the soup uncovered for 20 minutes until the pasta is cooked and consistency of the soup is to your liking.
- Garnish with fresh dill, if desired. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon juice for more of a lemon flavor.
Notes
- 4 WW points per cup
Nutrition
this has the heartiness and comfort of chicken noodle soup, with the best spin on flavor! can definitely see this being made again!
This looks delicious! Is the 4 oz of Orzo by weight or by volume? Thanks!
Comfort soup at it’s finest!!
This was so delicious and comforting!! I whisked one cup of the broth with three egg yolks at the end and then added them back into the soup (like my Greek mother taught me) and it made it even creamier. Already know I’ll make this a few more times throughout the rest of the winter 🙂
My husband and I have Covid and this soup is just what the doctor ordered!
It really is delicious…
Do you think this could be done in a crockpot and if so, what modifications would I need to do?
Thank you.
Delicious!! I added extra lemon to mine. Loved it!
I think this soup is wonderful!! The only thing I might add more of is lemon.
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead? Would it taste the same and would it change the cooking time?