Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This creamy 30-minute Lemon Chicken Orzo soup is made with rotisserie chicken, spinach and Italian herbs for a super fast, creamy soup that’s hearty, comforting and family-friendly.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This soup comes together in no time, thanks to pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. It’s a great way to use up leftovers and is full of rich, cheesy flavor.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
I like to make this soup in a heavy-duty enameled dutch oven or cast iron dutch oven. However, any large pot will work!
The great thing about this soup is that it’s very flexible. Here are some simple substitutions to try if you don’t have all of the ingredients:
- Use pecorino romano or even cheddar instead of parmesan
- Sub the shallot for a half of an onion, diced
- You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken
- Use kale or another green veggie instead of spinach
Using Raw Chicken
No rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken? No problem, to use fresh chicken, simply cut it into bite-sized pieces. Then simmer the chicken in step 2 until it’s cooked through.
You can also use frozen chicken breasts and quickly thaw them using this how to pressure cook frozen chicken guide.
Lighter Creamy Orzo Soup
If you want to lighten this recipe up a little, simply reduce the amount of parmesan cheese by half, and omit the cream cheese.
You also don’t need to add the butter at the end. However, I don’t recommend omitting all of the cheese and cream, because then it wouldn’t be *creamy*.
Adding Extra Vegetables
You certainly can boost the veggies in this orzo soup! Try adding sliced mushrooms, potatoes, or squash.
Just dice whatever vegetables you have, add them into the dutch oven when sauteeing the carrots, shallot, and celery, and continue to follow the recipe as written.
Thicker Chicken Orzo Soup
If you’re eating soup with a slice of bread or baguette, you might like thick, dip-like soup!
To thicken up this soup, add 4 cups of broth instead of 5.
Storage Suggestions
To save leftovers, let the soup cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
You can reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes.
Freezing Leftover Chicken Soup
This soup freezes great. It’s perfect as a make-ahead dinner. To freeze, place the soup into individual, freezer-safe containers. Leave about ½ inch of space at the top for expansion, then freeze for up to three months.
To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat over the stove in a pot for 5-10 minutes.
More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes
If you’re on a soup kick this winter, try these other popular recipes next:
- Easy Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup has a refreshing citrusy flavor and a thick, creamy texture.
- The BEST Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup from Pressure Cooking Today is a super fast and warming veggie-packed soup.
- Spicy Chicken Soup has a delicious kick to it and juicy pieces of chicken.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Creamy, delicious, comforting, perfect-for-fall chicken orzo soup will be your new go-to! This soup is filled with soft chicken, chopped spinach, and perfectly cooked orzo swimming in a creamy, cheesy broth brightened up with lemon! Ready in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- ½ shallot, minced
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning, dry
- ½ tsp oregano, dry
- ½ tsp thyme, dry
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups prepared rotisserie chicken (shredded)
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (½ lemon)
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, add 2 tbsp butter (reserve the other 2 tbsp), minced garlic, diced carrots, diced celery, and minced shallot over medium heat. Add the spices and saute for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked throughout.
Add the broth, shredded chicken, and orzo. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, then turn the heat down to low. Add the lemon juice (about ½ of a squeezed lemon), cream cheese, and grated parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream, chopped spinach, and remaining 2 tbsp butter. Stir, salt and pepper (you probably won’t need much salt if any, as the parmesan gives it a saltier flavor) to taste, serve immediately.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 1626mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 29g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
