Greek Lemon Orzo Soup With Chicken

Name: Greek Lemon Orzo Soup With Chicken
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 white onion, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 large carrots, diced; 8 cups chicken broth; 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, butterflied; 1 cup orzo; Juice from 1-2 lemons; 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

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This Greek lemon orzo soup is a fun alternative to the classic chicken noodle soup. It is made with simple ingredients and carries a fresh and light flavor.

A bowl of Greek lemon orzo soup garnished with fresh lemon and a crusty baguette slice.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Lemon orzo chicken soup is packed with flavor and requires minimal cooking time.
This soup is also a one pot meal, meaning you will cook the chicken in the same soup pot.
We have provided you with two different options for making this delicious soup. If you are a fan of brothy soups, follow the recipe as is. If you like your soup to have a creamier, more velvety broth, take a look at the tips and variations section for how to add egg yolk to the broth. This is authentic to the traditional Greek lemon chicken orzo soup, avgolemono soup.
Making this delicious soup is a great way to warm up on cold nights, but is truly ideal anytime!
This classic Greek soup adds a great spin to the traditional chicken noodle soup recipes.

Ingredient Notes

Olive oil - any type of olive oil will do! Extra virgin olive oil will have a stronger flavor, while a lighter olive oil will carry less flavor.
Minced garlic - you will need about three cloves of garlic to help give the broth its flavor.
White onion, celery, carrots - simply dice and sauté!
Chicken broth - we prefer to use store-bought stock for ease, but if you prefer to make homemade chicken stock that will be great for this recipe!
Salt - we add some salt to the broth and then recommend adding additional salt to taste.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts - you will need about 1 lb of chicken, or about 2 chicken breasts. We butterfly the chicken breasts in this recipe so that they cook more quickly and evenly. You could also replace with chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken.
Orzo pasta - orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that is perfect for this recipe! If you've never tried an orzo recipe before, you simply cook it similarly to pasta. There are whole wheat orzo options and gluten-free orzo options available as needed.
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh dill - we love adding chopped fresh dill to this recipe! It adds a new, fresh element of flavor to this soup.
Black pepper to taste
Egg yolks - optional, see the tips and variations section below.

See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements for this chicken lemon orzo soup.

Equipment You’ll Need

Cutting board and knives
Large soup pot* or large dutch oven
Measuring cups and spoons

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions for this Greek lemon orzo soup, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

A large soup pot with garlic and diced onion, carrot, and celery.

Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, white onion, celery, and carrots. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.

A large soup pot with diced veggies, chicken broth, and cooked chicken breasts.

Add the chicken broth, salt, and chicken breasts. Let the mixture cook for 15-17 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and is fully cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts from the soup and set them aside in a bowl.

An overhead shot of a large soup pot with orzo pasta stirred in.

Once you remove the chicken, add the orzo and stir. Let the orzo cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. While the orzo is cooking, shred the chicken breasts in the bowl.

A large soup pot of Greek lemon orzo soup.

Once the orzo is al dente, reduce to low heat. Add the shredded chicken back in along with the fresh dill. If adding egg yolks to the broth, see the tips and variations section for instructions. Otherwise, add the lemon juice as well.

Tips & Variations

If you want to make a more traditional Greek soup, avgolemono soup, you will need to create an egg-lemon sauce to add to the broth. In a separate bowl, simply whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and then temper it by slowly adding about one cup of hot broth while whisking continuously. This will prevent the beaten egg from immediately curdling when added directly to the hot broth. Then whisk in the tempered egg mixture to the large soup pot until well combined and remove from the heat.
- While some recipes may use a whole egg, we recommend using only the egg yolks as the whites are more likely to curdle. The egg yolks also help create a more creamy soup and thickens the broth. This will be more authentic to what you will find in a Greek restaurant—a delicious, velvety soup!
If you want to skip the step of cooking the chicken all together, you can add rotisserie chicken at the last step instead.
If you aren't a fan of dill, you can try adding other fresh herbs such as fresh parsley. Feel free to garnish with fresh lemon slices or lemon zest.
Don't have orzo on hand? No problem! You can use another type of pasta for this dish, similar to one you might use for a chicken noodle soup.

An up close shot of a bowl of Greek lemon orzo soup garnished with fresh lemon.

FAQ

How should I store leftover soup?

Let the hot soup cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. We recommend consuming leftovers within 3-4 days.

Is this Greek lemon soup (GF/DF/V/VG)?

Make it gluten-free: simply use gluten-free orzo pasta.
This recipe is dairy-free.
To make this soup vegetarian, omit the chicken, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. To make it vegan, follow the same steps for the vegetarian option and do not add egg yolk to the broth.

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If you make this lemon chicken orzo soup recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!