Go Back
–+ servings
Print
lemon chicken orzo soup in a white bowl with a spoon

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This lemon chicken orzo soup is a delicious and easy recipe that comes together quickly. Perfect for a week night dinner!
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon chicken orzo soup
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 153 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • cooking spray or 1 Tablespoon oil of choice: olive or avocado would be my top picks
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 3 cups carrots peeled and diced (I used 2 of pre-sliced carrot chips)
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 pound cooked chicken shredded or cut into bite-sized chunks (I used store bought rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or half teaspoon of dried
  • 1 sprig rosemary or half teaspoon dried
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 1 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo pasta
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional toppings: fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley & parmesan cheese

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

  1. Heat cooking spray or oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

  2. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables, and stir occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in garlic, thyme and bay leaves until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil.
  5. Stir in orzo, rosemary and cooked chicken.
  6. After re-boil, reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes.
  7. Stir in lemon juice, and add salt and pepper, to taste.
  8. Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprig.
  9. Top with parsley and parmesan cheese.
  10. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Spray the inner pot with cooking spray (or add oil), and set to sauté, allowinbg the pot to heat up for a minute or two.

  2. Add onion, celery and carrots, and cook about 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

  4. Add chicken stock, chicken, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and pasta.

  5. Place the lid on, and lock it to sealing.

  6. Cook on low pressure for 4 minutes. (Note: mine took about 20 minutes to come up to pressure.)

  7. Allow the pot to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then use the quick release lever to release the remaining pressure.

  8. Stir in lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 153 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 300mg13%
Potassium 420mg12%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 8090IU162%
Vitamin C 5.4mg7%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.