If you love the combination of lemon and chicken, then you’re going to fall in-love with this recipe. This is my Healing One Pot Chicken Orzo Soup – aka the perfect soup recipe to prep for those cold winter days or for when you’re feeling under the weather. It’s filled with tender shredded chicken, bright and vibrant lemon, and hearty orzo for a cozy and comforting soup that is sure to be a staple in your dinner rotation!
Friends, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us – aka, soup season. If you’ve been to my blog before, then you may know that I am a HUGE fan of soups. Every year, I spend hours in my kitchen crafting up the perfect soup recipes to carry you through those cold and cozy winter months. Whether that’s through my viral Tuscan White Bean Soup (which is still the number one recipe on my blog to this DAY), to my newer Chicken & Dumpling Soup (which is a dairy-free twist on the classic comfort food recipe), soups are one of the BEST recipes to keep in your repertoire. And if you don’t believe me, here are a few reasons why…
Three Reasons Why You NEED to Make Soups from Scratch
- They are super easy to meal prep: Soups are one of the easiest foods to prep-ahead and store in the freezer. At any given time, no matter the season, I have at LEAST 1-2 soups stored in my freezer. Let’s face it, life can be unpredictable and you never know when you’ll have a day where you wake up feeling sick or have virtually zero time to cook a meal. When stored in the freezer, soups can stay fresh for 1-2 months, which means that you can always have a quick, nutritious meal to reheat and enjoy.
- They’re healthier AND cheaper than pre-made soups: Even the most “organic” canned soups are riddled with high amounts of sodium… and, are not exactly a cheaper option. In fact, a single can of “better-for-you” soup can run you up to $8 here in San Francisco. By taking a few minutes to prep a soup from scratch, you’re not only able to tailor the soup to your unique dietary needs, but you can also reduce your cost per serving.
- They’re perfect for when you’re sick: No need to spend $40 Door Dashing a bowl of chicken soup when you’re feeling under the weather. Simply prep this soup, store it in the freezer, and have a comforting and healing bowl of chicken soup ready in seconds!
What You Need to Make This Perfect Orzo Soup
- 🧈 Olive Oil & Butter: The combination of olive oil and butter makes this soup perfectly rich and delicious.
- 🥕 Celery, Carrots, and Onion: Also known as mirepoix, the combination of diced carrots, celery, and onion makes for the perfect base for this soup.
- 🧄 Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. It adds the best flavor!
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch or Tapioca Flour: This helps to thicken the soup so it achieves the perfect consistency – don’t skip this!
- Chicken Broth: Of course, any good chicken soup starts with a base of chicken broth. You can also opt to use chicken bone broth, if you want, to add in some extra protein.
- 🍋 Lemon: You’ll need the juice of 1-2 lemons to add the best flavor to this soup. If you don’t like a ton of lemon, opt for 1. If you’re like me and prefer this soup extra lemony, use 2!
- 🧂 Seasonings: To season this soup, you’ll need a combination of Italian seasoning, turmeric, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Yum!
- 🐓 Chicken: I recommend using shredded rotisserie chicken to cut down on the cook time for this soup and make it simple and easy. However, if you prefer to use fresh chicken and cook it in the soup, you can opt for a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Orzo: Orzo is a short-cut pasta that looks like a large grain of rice. It’s a delicious form of pasta to add to soups, because it will fill you up without making you feel sluggish!
- Parsley: A sprinkle of fresh parsley adds the perfect garnish to this soup!
How to Make This Cozy & Comforting Winter Soup
To make this soup, start by heating a large pot or dutch oven, on the stove, over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and butter. Wash and chop the celery, carrots, and onion while the pan is heating. Then, once the butter has melted, add them to the pot and stir to combine.
Sauté the celery, carrots, and onion in the butter for 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Then, dice the garlic and add it to the pot alongside the starch of choice (cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch) and stir to combine.
Next, add in the chicken broth, lemon juice, shredded rotisserie chicken, orzo, Italian seasoning, turmeric, and ground black pepper to the pot and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover and leave the lid slightly cracked open. Then, reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer. If you’re using shredded rotisserie chicken, allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. If you’re using fresh chicken breast, allow the soup to simmer for 25 minutes, so that the chicken is cooked through.
Once the soup is done simmering, remove the lid and stir well. Use a spoon to scrape the orzo from the bottom of the pot, to ensure that it’s fully incorporated into the soup. If you are using fresh chicken breast, remove it from the pot and use a fork to shred it. Then, return it back to the pot and stir to combine. Once the soup is done, ladle it into bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, serve with a side of crusty bread, and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Equipment
- Dutch Oven this dutch oven is perfect for preparing your favorite soups!
- Vegetable Chopper this will make your life so much easier!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, unsalted
- 3 Sticks Celery, chopped finely
- 3 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped finely
- 1 Small Onion, diced finely
- 3 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch or Tapioca Flour, to thicken
- 6 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1-2 Lemons, juiced – depending on how "lemony" you like it!
- 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Turmeric
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ½ Cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken, or substitute 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 Cup Orzo, uncooked
- Parsley, chopped – for garnishing
Instructions
- To make this soup, start by heating a large pot or dutch oven, on the stove, over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and butter.
- Wash and chop the celery, carrots, and onion while the pan is heating. Then, once the butter has melted, add them to the pot and stir to combine.
- Sauté the celery, carrots, and onion in the butter for 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften.
- Then, dice the garlic and add it to the pot alongside the starch of choice (cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch) and stir to combine.
- Next, add in the chicken broth, lemon juice, shredded rotisserie chicken, orzo, Italian seasoning, turmeric, and ground black pepper to the pot and stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover and leave the lid slightly cracked open.
- Then, reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer. If you're using shredded rotisserie chicken, allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. If you're using fresh chicken breast, allow the soup to simmer for 25 minutes, so that the chicken is cooked through.
- Once the soup is done simmering, remove the lid and stir well. Use a spoon to scrape the orzo from the bottom of the pot, to ensure that it's fully incorporated into the soup.
- If you are using fresh chicken breast, remove it from the pot and use a fork to shred it. Then, return it back to the pot and stir to combine.
- Once the soup is done, ladle it into bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, serve with a side of crusty bread, and enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
Great recipe! Quick and delicious! Will def make again.
Woohoo! Thank you so much, Kimberly!
This soup was so delicious and exactly what was needed after all of the rich and heavy holiday foods. It’s was a good restart to the new year!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much, Jessica!
It’s cold here in Chicago so we need soup to warm us up! This orzo soup was delicious and I used two lemons because we love the lemon taste.
This recipe is so easy and delicious.
I was very hesitant on the lemon but turned out to be my favorite part.
I’ve made it twice for meal prep so far this winter and will most likely do it again.
Foolproof and great for meal prep.
This was just excellent! We are still eating it…so good! Love a new form of chicken soup! The turmeric amount I question. Is it really suppose to be 2 Tablespoons? Seemed like a lot to me, though turmeric is used in a lot of Indian food too. We eat a lot of Indian too. Just wondering. Thanks
Hi Cheri, yes that is correct! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
My family loved this!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it, Cheri! Thank you for your review!
This worked exactly as written!! Someone woke up sick this morning so got to work early making bone broth all day long then made this soup, going forward this will be our fall and winter go to! Thank you for sharing .
Thanks so much for the review Teri! Hope everyone feels better soon!