Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is made with spinach and juicy chicken in a perfectly seasoned broth with a hint of cream and Parmesan cheese. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the best fresh flavor to this soup.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Are you a soup person all year round? I sure am, but if there is any soup recipe that’s appropriate for spring and summer, it’s this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.

Why It’s the Best

The flavor profile on this soup is out of this world. Chicken is seasoned in lemon pepper seasoning and seared in the soup pot to give it a golden crust and add fond to the pot, which is then de-glazed with white wine (or chicken broth if needed).

From there, we use my favorite flavor enhancers: hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder. None of them can be tasted outright, but they add umami and elevate all of the other flavors in the dish. (The hot sauce doesn’t make it spicy.)

The seasoning combination is on point, and includes oregano, basil, parsley, and dill weed. A splash of cream and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds an incredible finishing touch before fresh spinach and lemon juice are added right at the end.

My key tip is to cook the orzo separately and add it directly to the serving bowls. Otherwise the orzo absorbs all of that delicious broth and your leftovers look like pasta and chicken rather than soup. 🥴

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. See notes section of recipe card for Crock Pot Method.

Season chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and sauté it in olive oil for 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside and let rest, then dice/shred. 

Deglaze the pot with white wine (chicken broth may also be used). Add butter and vegetables and soften for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the seasonings, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 

Add the chicken back and simmer gently while you cook the orzo separately (see pro tips as to why it’s cooked separately). Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy creamy, Parmesan cheese, and spinach. Once the spinach is wilted, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve!

Pro Tips

• Cook the orzo separately to ensure that it doesn’t absorb all of the broth, especially if you plan on having leftovers. Add it directly to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top.
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor.  (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that.
• The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers that you can’t taste outright, but they add umami and elevate the other ingredients in the soup. 
• White Wine: Dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio are best in this recipe and pair well with lemon. Chicken Broth may be used if you don’t cook with wine.
• The hot sauce doesn’t make it spicy. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce in this recipe.
• I also use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (Packaged grated cheese won’t melt as well or taste as well.) Belgioioso is my brand of choice.
• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if at all possible as it has more flavor than bottled lemon juice.
• Add the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it simmers for even more flavor!
• Chicken: 3 cups of cooked chicken can be used instead of fresh chicken if needed. Add the cooked chicken in step 4.

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze and reheat fairly well, I would boil fresh orzo to serve with leftovers.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• Le Creuset 4.5 quart Dutch Oven– This is the one I use for this recipe, it’s the perfect size and it conducts heat really well.
• Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
• Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
• Lemon Zester– Add the zest of a lemon on top of the soup for even more lemon flavor.
• Chefs Knife– I have this one. It’s affordable but high quality.
• 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

5 from 24 ratings

Servings: 11 cups

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This soup is made with spinach and juicy chicken in a perfectly seasoned broth with a hint of cream and Parmesan cheese. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the best fresh flavor to this soup.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Chicken

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 ¼ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, see notes
• ▢ lemon pepper seasoning, see notes

Seasonings

• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, basil, parsley, mustard powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried dill weed

Soup

• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced
• ▢ ¾ cup carrots, diced
• ▢ 2 sticks celery, diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic
• ▢ 6 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 cups fresh spinach
• ▢ ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• ▢ Juice of 1 lemon, (3-4 Tbsp.)
• ▢ ¾ cup orzo, uncooked

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Equipment

• 1 4.5 quart soup pot

Instructions

• Note: The orzo is cooked separately in this recipe to ensure that it doesn’t absorb too much broth. This allows leftover soup to be refrigerated or frozen on its own. Fresh orzo can be boiled and served with leftovers. If you do anticipate leftovers, consider making less orzo and saving the rest to boil fresh later.
• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and add it to the heated pot. Sear on each side for 3-4 minutes, until a golden color has developed. (The middle doesn’t have to be cooked through.) Remove and let rest for 10 minutes, then dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
• Add white wine to the skillet over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Bring it to a gentle bubble and let it simmer for 4 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the butter along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Soften for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Add the seasonings, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and toss to coat. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back and simmer gently until cooked through. (Do this gently to ensure that the chicken doesn’t become tough.) The soup will continue to reduce and concentrate the longer it simmers.
• While the soup simmers, boil the orzo in a separate pot of salted water according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
• Reduce heat of the soup to low and stir in the heavy cream. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously.
• Add the spinach and let it heat through for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the lemon juice.
• Add cooked orzo to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

• Chicken: 3 cups of cooked chicken can be used instead of fresh chicken if needed. Add the cooked chicken in step 4.
• Cook the orzo separately to ensure that it doesn't absorb all of the broth, especially if you plan on having leftovers. Add it directly to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top.
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor.  (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that.
• The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers that you can't taste outright, but they add umami and elevate the other ingredients in the soup. 
• White Wine: Dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio are best in this recipe and pair well with lemon. Chicken Broth may be used if you don't cook with wine.
• The hot sauce doesn't make it spicy. I use Frank's Hot Sauce in this recipe.
• I also use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (Packaged grated cheese won't melt as well or taste as well.) Belgioioso is my brand of choice.
• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if at all possible as it has more flavor than bottled lemon juice.
• Add the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it simmers for even more flavor!

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Crock Pot Method

• Sear the chicken, deglaze the pot, and soften the vegetables as outlined in steps 2 & 3.
• Let the chicken rest before dicing/shredding. Transfer the softened vegetables to the crock pot. Add the the chicken broth, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings, and chicken.
• Cook on low for 6 hours. (I recommend low heat to keep the chicken juicy and tender. Cooking it over higher heat makes it tougher. If necessary, it can be cooked for 4 hours on high.)
• Stir in the spinach. Cover and heat through for 5 minutes, or until wilted.
• Turn heat off. Stir in the heavy cream and gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the lemon juice.
• Serve with cooked orzo.

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Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze and reheat fairly well, I would boil fresh orzo to serve with leftovers.

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Nutritional information below is per cup. This recipe makes approximately 11 cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 657mg, Potassium: 351mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2257IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 1mg

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie