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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon chicken orzo soup with a bright lemon-herb broth and tender orzo. Simmer chicken to shred it into the soup, then finish with spinach, dill, and optional Greek avgolemono style egg-lemon thickening.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken soup base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 8 cup chicken broth
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 3 celery sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste
Lemon finish
  • 1 1/3 fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
Optional avgolemono (Greek-style thickening)
  • 2 eggs optional

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
  2. Add the garlic and dried thyme, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the chicken
  1. Pour in the chicken broth, add the chicken breast, and simmer for 18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the pot.
Cook the orzo
  1. Add the orzo to the pot and simmer for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Finish with lemon, spinach, and dill
  1. For regular style, stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
  2. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted, then stir in the fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Optional avgolemono style
  1. Whisk the eggs with the lemon juice until smooth.
  2. Slowly ladle hot broth into the eggs while whisking constantly, then stir the tempered egg mixture back into the pot.
  3. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted, then stir in the fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Pro tip: if you choose avgolemono, temper the eggs slowly with hot broth while whisking so they don’t scramble. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (for best texture, freeze without the spinach if possible, then add spinach after reheating). For a dairy-free option, keep the recipe as written (it’s naturally dairy-free); for a gluten-free swap, use a gluten-free orzo or substitute rice and adjust simmering time until tender.