If you have been following along for a bit, you probably know that I am in love with soup. In fact, when I plan my editorial calendar in the fall and winter, I have to be on the lookout for soup recipes that are too close together. I know not everyone has the love for soup that I have. I could (and do!) eat it all year long. In my house, I’m steadily programing my kids to be soup lovers too. Like a secret mission. To me, there is something so homey and loving about my family huddling around the kitchen table on a cool evening, a steaming bowl of soup in front of each of us. This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup fits the bill for comforting soup. It checks all the boxes for me with it’s protein, veggies, pasta, and great flavor combination. Grab a crusty baguette, make this soup, and become a convert like me.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Ingredients
The ingredients for this soup are simple enough, but when combined they have the best flavor.
Chicken: We are using boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, though you could always use chicken thighs and follow the method used in my Chicken Noodle Soup.Orzo: This small pasta is perfect in this recipe, but you can swap it out for whole wheat orzo or another small pasta like ditalini.Fresh Lemon: While fresh lemon may sound odd in a soup, it gives it this bright and fresh flavor I think you will really love.Spinach: The addition of spinach in this soup helps to make it a really nutritious dinner.Carrots, celery, & onion: This trio of vegetables works together perfectly in this soup as it does in so many recipes.Garlic: The fresh garlic in this recipe is subtle enough that it doesn’t over power, but rather lends another layer of flavor.Thyme, oregano, & bay leaves: These simple herbs pair beautifully in this soup, though you could certainly experiment and try others.Chicken Stock: This is what gives the soup it’s back bone. I recommend using a low sodium chicken stock so you have better control over the salt content.White Wine: I love the layer of flavor that white wine brings to this recipe, read more on this below.Salt & Pepper: I have listed the amount of salt and pepper that I thought was necessary for this recipe, but you can always start with less and add more to taste at the end of a recipe.
Cooking the Chicken
It does, however, add a chunk of time to this recipe. If you wanted to cut the time on this, purchase cooked chicken and use about 3 cups. Additionally, you will want to cut the liquid in this recipe by about 2 cups, since you will be cutting out that 20 minutes of simmering time. I recommend using a Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc. Pick a wine that you would drink, and pass on the cooking wines. There is no need to break the bank on this; it will be hard to tell the difference between an inexpensive bottle in this recipe and an expensive one. If your family doesn’t drink wine often, I suggest buying a pack of four mini bottles to make this recipe. That way you don’t need to crack open a whole bottle just for one recipe, and you will have three more bottles for other recipes that use white wine – like my Beef and Noodles or my Linguine and Clams. Alternatively, you can skip the wine in this recipe, and just replace it with more chicken stock. It won’t be the same exact flavor but it will be delicious.
Lemon Flavor
As you can guess from the name of this soup, it has a great lemon flavor to it. You can’t miss the lemon flavor in this recipe, it is bold. That being said, if you aren’t a lemon lover, I would suggest you add about half the amount of lemon to start. Start with 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Taste your soup and add more from there.
Making Ahead of Time
If you make this recipe ahead of time, stop at step 3. When you are ready to serve the soup, bring it to a boil, cook the orzo, and then add in the lemon and spinach. The orzo in this soup is amazing, but in left overs it does absorb quite a bit of liquid. You will enjoy it more if you add it to the soup right before eating. Alternatively, if you know there is going to be left overs to this soup, cook the orzo separately. You can add it to the soup as you eat it.
Other Great Soup Recipes
Did I make you a soup lover like me with this recipe?! YES! Mission complete. Here are a few more you will love:
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup – This is a very popular recipe that will soothe your soul.Broccoli Cheddar Soup – You will love the simplicity of this soup.Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup – My family eats this recipe all the time in the winter. It is easy to make and very delicious.
If you make his Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe or any of my other recipes leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
