Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
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If you’re craving something cozy but not too heavy, this lemon chicken orzo soup delivers—creamy, comforting, and bright with lemon.
If you’re in the mood for something cozy that still feels light, this lemon chicken orzo soup hits the mark. It’s loaded with tender chicken, hearty veggies, and orzo, plus dill and plenty of lemon to brighten it up. A splash of cream adds just enough richness without making it heavy.
For a complete meal, serve it with my easy artisan bread or dinner rolls. It’s the kind of cozy-but-fresh soup you’ll want to make on repeat—especially this time of year.
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Chicken (bone-in, skin-on breasts and/or thighs) – Adds rich flavor to the broth and makes the soup hearty and satisfying; thighs are more tender and forgiving, but either works.
- Vegetable oil & butter – For searing and sautéing; the combo adds flavor and helps prevent burning.
- Onion, carrots, celery & garlic – The classic soup base that builds depth and savory flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Lightly thickens the broth.
- Chicken broth – The backbone of the soup, adding depth as it simmers.
- Orzo – Makes the soup hearty and satisfying; cook just until tender.
- Heavy cream – Adds a bit of richness and gives the broth its creamy finish.
- Lemon zest & fresh lemon juice – Brighten everything up and balance the richness.
- Herbs – Bay leaf adds depth as the soup simmers, while dill adds a fresh, bright finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season the chicken. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Sear the chicken. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the chicken skin-side down and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. (Don’t discard the flavorful fat in the pot.)
Step 2: Cook the veggies. Melt the butter into the chicken fat in the pot, then add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until they start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about 1 minute until lightly golden.
Pro Tip: Keep the garlic moving and cook it just until fragrant. If it turns brown, it becomes bitter and can overpower the delicate flavors of the lemon and dill in the soup.
Step 3: Simmer the soup. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, then add the bay leaf and return the chicken and its juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes for breasts or 20 minutes for thighs.
Pro Tip: Maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil once you return the chicken to the pot. This slower cooking method ensures the meat stays tender and juicy.
Step 4: Shred the chicken. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board, then discard the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
Step 5: Cook the orzo. Bring the soup back to a gentle boil and add the orzo. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the pasta is al dente (check the package for timing).
Step 6: Finish the soup. Stir in the cream, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, and the shredded chicken, and simmer until warmed through. Discard the bay leaf, then stir in the lemon zest and dill and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
Step 7: Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. The soup can be made up to adding the orzo and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: The orzo will continue to absorb liquid as the soup sits. If you have leftovers, you may need to add a splash of broth or water when reheating to bring it back to a soup-like consistency.
Lemon Chicken ORzo Soup Video Tutorial
More Chicken Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1¾ lb bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed of excess skin or fat
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
- 2 celery ribs, cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 qts (8 cups) chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1¼ cups orzo
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1½ teaspoons dried)
Instructions
- Season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside (don’t discard the flavorful fat in the pot).
- Add the butter to the pan and let it melt into the chicken fat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden and no dry bits of flour remain, about 1 minute.
- Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the bay leaf and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through—about 15 minutes for breasts and 20 minutes for thighs.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the skin and bones, then shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
- Bring the soup back to a gentle boil and add the orzo. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick, until al dente (check the package for timing). Stir in the cream, the lemon juice, and shredded chicken, and simmer a few minutes more until everything is warmed through. Fish out and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon zest and dill, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My family loved this soup! Another winning recipe, Jenn! Well done! It even makes great leftovers
Hello, would it be okay to use rice instead of orzo? Do I need to modify anything? We don’t eat butter—would olive oil work instead? Also, is it okay to omit the celery, or should I replace it with something else? I know that’s a lot of customizations, but I’d really like to try this.
I love your cooking style and am a big fan of yours.
Hi Oleda, thanks for your kind words – so glad you like the recipes! Yes, I think it would be fine to use rice instead of orzo, substitute the butter with olive oil (or more vegetable oil), and either omit the celery or replace it with additional carrots. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I made this soup yesterday. I doubled the batch with the intention of freezing some for another day. Well it was such a delicious soup that my hubby had much more than 1 serving. Needless to say, not enough left over for another meal!!! Definitely will be making again! Thank you for sharing.
I have an ill friend who loves chicken soup and I think this might be a nice change up. Can this be frozen?
Hi Lynn, yes, the soup can be partially prepared and frozen. See the bottom of the recipe for specific freezing instructions. Hope your friend enjoys it if you make it for her!
This is such a great recipe. The dill and cream is a game changer for me. I love all your recipes I’ve tried. Thank you
I had all the ingredients to make this soup already in my house so when I came across this recipe in my emails this morning I decided to try it. So good, as always. It’s the perfect soup for a rainy spring day. All these new recipes on the site I’m hoping there is a third cookbook in the works!
Very tasty.. I used chicken tenders quick easy delicious.. I sautéed the chicken tenders took them out. Follow the rest of the directions cut the chicken tenders in about half inch cuts put them back in as directed. Everything was very very good. Had enough to do a soup run for my single neighbors.
What a delicious soup and easy to make. I used chicken thighs and the meat was extremely tender and flavorful. Along with cheese toast on the side, this was a meal in a bowl.
Definitely a keeper.
I had the temerity to make this soup today, even though the recipe is brand new and nobody has reviewed it yet. We really enjoyed it. The lemon, dill, and orzo give a new twist to chicken soup. When the cream is stirred in, the soup becomes a lovely yellow color. I held back a little on the dill, but will use the full amount next time. I’ll make it again.
How much garlic? You did not list it in the ingredient list
You’re right – sorry about that! You’ll need two cloves of garlic. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Hi Jenn. Rather than orzo, would barley work?
Thank you
Hi Mary, yes, barley should work here, but because it takes significantly longer to cook than orzo, I’d cook it separately and then add it in at the end. Hope you enjoy!