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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
Let the hot soup cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. We recommend consuming leftovers within 3-4 days.
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.
If you like this Greek lemon orzo soup, check out…
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!
Greek Lemon Orzo Soup With Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, butterflied
- 1 cup orzo
- Juice from 1-2 lemons
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, minced
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Greek Lemon Orzo Soup."
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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