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Two bowls of chicken and orzo soup on a wooden background.
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4.82 from 11 votes

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup with Chicken Thighs

This cozy Chicken Soup recipe is made with bone-in chicken thighs, orzo and lemon juice. Extra vegetables and a little ginger make it super flavorful, warming and great for a chilly day!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 424.22kcal
Author: Sarah Hill

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds bone in chicken thighs
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ¾ cup orzo
  • ½ lemon juiced

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan, let cool for a few minutes and remove the skin.
  • Add the onion, carrots, celery and zucchini to the pot and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric and ginger.
  • Add chicken back to the pot with the bay leaf, thyme and rosemary.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil.
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes
  • Take the chicken out of the pot, remove the bones and shred with two forks.
  • Add the chicken back to the pot with the orzo and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the orzo is cooked.
  • Turn off the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Use low-sodium chicken broth and season with additional salt at the end. This allows you to control the amount of salt in the soup and not add too much.
  • The bone will easily fall out after cooking when you go to shred the chicken, it just helps to add more flavor.
  • Cook the orzo separate from the soup and add it to each individual bowl so it doesn't soak up all the liquid and the soup.
  • Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge. If storing for more than a day, I recommend cooking and storing the orzo separately so it doesn't soak up all the liquid.
  • You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months but I recommend freezing it without the orzo. Thaw the soup and then reheat on the stove and add the orzo and more broth if needed.
  • Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes or on the stovetop on medium heat until warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 424.22kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.3g | Protein: 24.88g | Fat: 26.83g | Saturated Fat: 6.55g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12.38g | Trans Fat: 0.11g | Cholesterol: 125.95mg | Sodium: 886.1mg | Potassium: 622.47mg | Fiber: 1.94g | Sugar: 3.1g | Vitamin A: 3573.98IU | Vitamin C: 19.78mg | Calcium: 43.49mg | Iron: 1.78mg