Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Creamy & Comforting)

A white bowl of creamy chicken orzo soup with someone scooping up a spoonful, and with ingredients scattered around it.

5 from 8 votes

Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Creamy & Comforting)

If you love orzo, why not add it to a creamy chicken soup? This lemon chicken orzo soup is creamy but with not too much cream, packed with comforting veggies and chicken, and - the best part - only takes around 30 minutes to get on the table.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: (at least)

Author: Helen Schofield

Equipment

Large 7Qt Blue Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 pound chicken thighs skinless & boneless, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for rolling the chicken in for thickness)
3 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
1 onion diced
2 large carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
1½ teaspoons Italian herbs dried, or a mixture of Mediterranean herbs e.g. oregano, thyme, basil
2 bay leaves (optional)
7 cups chicken broth (stock)
¾ cups orzo pasta dried (or other small pasta)
⅓ cup heavy cream (sometimes called double cream/thickened cream)
1½ cups spinach chopped and washed (or baby spinach which you won't need to chop)
1 small lemon (zest & juice), equal to 2-3 tablespoons juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

cups/ounces - grams/ml

Instructions

Sprinkle the flour over the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Toss briefly with a spoon.
1 pound chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed casserole dish on a medium high heat. Then pan-fry the chicken for a few minutes until all the pieces have turned white. Remove the chicken and any juices from the pan and set aside.
3 tablespoons olive oil
Add a drizzle more oil to the pan and saute the onion, carrots, and celery together for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
1 onion, 2 large carrots, 2 stalks celery
Stir in the garlic and herbs, then add the bay leaves (if using), chicken broth, and orzo. Add the chicken back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the orzo is just cooked.
3 cloves garlic, 1½ teaspoons Italian herbs, 2 bay leaves, 7 cups chicken broth, ¾ cups orzo pasta
Finally, stir in the cream, spinach, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper. Taste and add more seasoning to taste.
⅓ cup heavy cream, 1½ cups spinach, 1 small lemon, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper

Notes

Note: Orzo pasta is sometimes called risoni. Giant couscous or another kind of very small pasta can make a good substitute. Gnocchi and tortellini also work. Just check the cooking time to know when to add it into the soup.

How thick? This soup is on the chunky side, but feel free to add a bit more water at the end if you think you’d prefer a thinner soup (obviously this will also make it go a bit further!).

To serve: Serve with a little grated parmesan cheese scattered over the top (if you like), and with your favorite fresh bread or toast on the side.

Nutrition