Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup {Easy One Pot Meal}

This Easy One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is so delicious and comforting – it's also freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep!

How to make lemon chicken orzo soup

1. Cook the carrots, onion, celery and garlic in a large pot.
2. Add the chicken, bouquet garni, broth, turmeric, salt and pepper.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Shred the chicken using a knife and fork.
5. Add in the orzo and shredded chicken.
6. Stir in lemon juice, garnish with parsley and serve.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Olive oil – or any neutral cooking oil of your choice like grapeseed, canola or avocado oil.
• Carrots – parsnips have a similar texture and taste.
• Yellow onion – white onion would also work here.
• Celery – double up on carrots or leave this out altogether.
• Garlic – I prefer using fresh garlic but the jarred minced variety is fine.
• Chicken breast – you could also use chicken thighs, but it’ll increase the calorie count.
• Bouquet garni – tie together a blend of fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano and bay leaves.
• Chicken broth – vegetable broth is a good substitute here.
• Turmeric – saffron or paprika would be the next best thing.
• Orzo – if you’re looking for a gluten-free option, try short-grain brown rice or quinoa.
• Fresh lemon juice – bottled lemon juice would work in a pinch.
• Parsley – leave this out altogether if you don’t have any on hand.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.

What is orzo?

Orzo, also known as risoni, is a short-cut pasta that’s commonly used in soups. It looks like a large grain of rice, which means a lot of people often mistake it for a type of rice! Fun fact – orzo actually means barley in Italian.

How many calories are in a bowl of chicken orzo soup?

This chicken orzo soup has only 259 calories per bowl, which makes it a great option for a low-calorie lunch or dinner.

Is orzo gluten free?

Orzo is made of wheat, which means it’s not gluten free. You can typically find gluten-free orzo pasta in the natural foods aisle of the grocery store or you could substitute for a gluten-free grain like brown rice or quinoa.

Does orzo freeze well in soup?

You can freeze this soup, but I’d recommend leaving out the orzo as the texture will change and become a bit mushy when it soaks in the broth for too long. Follow all the recipe steps but leave out the orzo before freezing then add in fresh orzo when you’re reheating the soup.

Storing and reheating

This lemon chicken orzo soup is a great option for meal prep. You can store it in the fridge for up to five days in glass meal prep containers. Reheat in the microwave for one to two minutes until heated through or warm it up on the stovetop.

Freezing this recipe

This soup freezes really well and will last in the freezer for up to three months in airtight glass containers or freezer-friendly Ziploc bags.

Keep in mind the texture of the orzo might not be the same when you reheat, so you can always leave the orzo out and then add it in fresh when reheating.

When you’re ready to eat, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.

More soup recipes

• Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder
• Italian Turkey Meatball Soup
• Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Instant Pot Turmeric Lentil Soup
• Pumpkin Curry Soup

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this soup into leftovers
• I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
• Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through