Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup Recipe
This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup starts out with homemade chicken stock using the chicken breasts, which are then shredded and added back with the orzo and lots of lemon flavor.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 onion diced
- 3 large carrots peeled, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
- 3 celery stalks small diced
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric optional
- 1-2 lemons juiced, to taste
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place chicken and scraps from the outer layers and ends of the onions, carrots, celery and bay leaves in a large stock pot. Add 8-10 cups of water and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken and shred; then strain the chicken broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetable scraps and bay leaves.
- Heat butter (or oil) in the same pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and remaining salt and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, orzo, rosemary and turmeric (if using). Then return the broth to the stockpot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until the orzo is cooked, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Serve immediately with fresh parsley or mint, if desired.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. The soup will stay fresh for about 4-5 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the soup, but the texture of the orzo may change slightly. So if you are making this to freeze, it’s best to leave the pasta out of the dish and then add freshly cooked pasta when you reheat it.
Make Ahead Tips: You can make the homemade chicken broth ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use the broth, just thaw in the fridge overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 693mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6108IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
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