Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Cosy and good Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup made with leftover roast chicken, hearty vegetables, orzo pasta and fresh, vibrant lemon juice. This soup feels so light and healthy but comforting and moreish at the same time plus it's easy to make.

After the Christmas rush when you feel like you've overindulged but the weather is still cold and dark outside, we crave something that's wholesome, and healthy but comforting too and this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is that.

Orzo also called Risoni is a type of pastina (tiny pasta) shaped like large grains of rice. It's most commonly added to soups but can also be added to salads or as a dish on its own. We've used it in the past to stuff roasted tomatoes instead of rice which is good!

Our soup uses leftover roast chicken but you can use chicken breasts or thighs instead (see our tips section below).

And to make this soup extra nutritious and save money we like to roast a chicken, save some meat for leftovers and make homemade stock with the carcass so you get 2 meals and a nutritious stock from one chicken.

Of course, if you don't have time for that we have plenty of tips to help you make this wonderful, cosy soup quickly and easily.

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Vegetables – carrot, celery and onion. We like to use a large one of each vegetable and cut them into small to medium sized pieces so you get a good bite of each but they don't take too long to cook.
• Chicken stock – We recommend either using your own homemade chicken stock or buying good quality low-sodium chicken stock so you can control the amount of salt added.
• White wine – we usually go for an Italian white such as Pecorino, Pinot Grigio or Vermentino (something we'll be drinking) but go for whatever white wine you like as long as it's not cooking wine. Alternatively, you can leave it out altogether.
• Orzo pasta (Risoni) – if you can't find this easily you can use another small pasta shape like pasta stars or ditalini.
• Roast chicken – this recipe uses 180g (2 cups) of shredded roast chicken but you can add raw chicken breasts to cook in the soup instead or roast chicken thighs to add instead.
• Fresh herbs – we use fresh rosemary and a bay leaf. Fresh thyme would also work or for a fresher flavour, you can use finely chopped fresh parsley instead (added at the end).

Step by step photos and instructions

Cut the peeled carrot in half lengthways then cut it into thin half rounds. Finely chop the onion and celery.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the vegetables, rosemary and bay. Saute the veg until the onion is soft and translucent then add the white wine. Let the wine reduce by half then add the chicken stock (photos 1-4).

Bring the soup to a simmer then continue to simmer the veg for about 25-30 minutes until soft.

Once softened, add the shredded roast chicken and orzo pasta. Simmer until the pasta is cooked (about 5-7 minutes). Finally, add the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper to taste then serve (photos 5-8).

Other chicken options

If you don't have leftover roast chicken there are another few options for adding chicken to the soup.

• Raw chicken breasts – you can add either 2 whole chicken breasts or chop them into chunks or strips and add them at the same time as the stock. Simmer until cooked through (about 30 minutes). If adding whole breasts you can remove them and shred them before adding them back to the soup.
• Raw thighs – you can do exactly the same as above but with raw skinless and boneless chicken thighs. Depending on the size and how much chicken you want you could use about 4-6 thighs.
• Roasting thighs or drumsticks – alternatively, you can roast chicken thighs or drumsticks separately and shred them for the soup (this can also be done the day before).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Use high-quality ingredients – the stock is particularly important here. We recommend using either homemade chicken stock or good-quality low-sodium chicken stock. Some stocks can be high in salt and ruin the flavour of the soup.
• Don't skip the lemon – it seems obvious for a lemon chicken soup but the lemon juice added at the end adds so much vibrant and good flavour to the soup so don't skip it.
• To make homemade stock – see how to make homemade chicken stock in our Pastina Soup recipe which is a good Italian chicken noodle soup.
• Serving suggestions – our lemon chicken orzo soup is hearty and filling so all you need to add is a big hunk of crusty bread slathered with butter.

Can we prepare this in advance?

You can prepare this soup in advance but only add the shredded chicken and not the orzo pasta as it absorbs too much liquid when left and turns mushy.It's best to either cook the pasta separately if you only need a few portions or add it to the soup when you're ready to eat it.

How long does the soup last?

The soup will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days but it's important to bear in mind that the orzo pasta will absorb a lot of liquid so you may need to add additional stock when reheating. Alternatively, cook the pasta separately so leftovers will be pasta-free and it can be added later.

Can we freeze this soup?

Yes, but we recommend freezing it before adding the orzo as it will absorb too much liquid and become mushy. Once the soup has defrosted, bring it to a simmer and add uncooked orzo. Simmer until cooked through.

More good soup recipes to try

Soups

Pasta Fagioli Soup – Pasta & Beans

Soups

Ligurian Minestrone Soup with Pesto

Soups

Pappa al Pomodoro (Italian Bread Soup)

Soups

Pastina Soup (Italian Chicken Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

Makes 4 - 6 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion ((peeled))
• 1 large carrot ((peeled))
• 1 large celery stick
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 and 1/3 cups good quality chicken stock (low sodium (1.5 litres))
• ¼ cup white wine ((60ml))
• 1 cup orzo pasta ((200g))
• 2 cups shredded roast chicken ((180g))
• ½ juice of a lemon
• Salt and pepper (to season)

Method

1. Cut the peeled carrot in half lengthways then cut it into thin half rounds. Finely chop the onion and celery.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the vegetables, rosemary and bay. Saute the veg until the onion is soft and translucent then add the white wine. Let the wine reduce by half then add the chicken stock.

3. Bring the soup to a simmer then continue to simmer the veg for about 25-30 minutes until soft.

4. Once softened, add the shredded roast chicken and orzo pasta. Simmer until the pasta is cooked (about 5 minutes). Finally, add the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper to taste then serve.

Kitchen notes

1. Use high-quality ingredients the stock is particularly important here. We recommend using either homemade chicken stock or good-quality low-sodium chicken stock. Some stocks can be high in salt and ruin the flavour of the soup.
2. Don't skip the lemon it seems obvious for a lemon chicken soup but the lemon juice added at the end adds so much vibrant and good flavour to the soup so don't skip it.
3. To make homemade stock see how to make homemade chicken stock in our Pastina Soup recipe which is a good Italian chicken noodle soup.
4. Serving suggestions our lemon chicken orzo soup is hearty and filling so all you need to add is a big hunk of crusty bread slathered with butter.
5. Storing leftovers leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days although the pasta will swell and soften so if you're planning on keeping leftovers in advance we recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it when you're ready to eat it.
6. Freezing the soup can be frozen in suitable containers for up to 3 months. Defrost completely before reheating. As recommended above, don't add the pasta if you plan on freezing as it'll swell and turn mushy.