Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
Enjoy a cozy bowl of Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup on a cold winter day. It is bright, comforting and made with everyday ingredients.
Servings: 8
Calories: 264kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 large carrots finely chopped
- 2 large celery finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 10 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 cup orzo pasta dry
- 1/2 lemon juice of
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat large pot on medium-high heat and add butter and olive oil. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and saute for another 30 seconds, stirring few times.
- Add chicken breasts and chicken broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add orzo pasta, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent pasta from sticking.
- After remove chicken breasts on a plate and shred with 2 forks. Return shredded chicken to the pot along with lemon juice, parsley and cream, if desired. Stir and adjust any seasonings to taste.
- Serve soup hot with a slice of crusty bread.
Notes
Store: Refrigerate soup leftovers for up to 4 days. Pasta will keep absorbing the broth as it sits in it, so more likely you will have to add more chicken broth when reheating. Do not add water as it will dilute the flavor of orzo lemon chicken soup.
Freeze: Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container, leaving some room for expansion. Again I recommend to freeze soup without pasta if possible as pasta does not freeze well.
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 508mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g