Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Juicy chicken, hearty veggies, and tender orzo in a luxuriously creamy, lemony broth ... nothing better! This chicken soup is like a hug in a bowl - and super easy to make, too.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories:
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 1 yellow onion
chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 10 cups chicken broth plus up to 2 more
- 16 ounces orzo uncooked
- 4 cups shredded chicken I used Rotisserie Chicken
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or up to ¼ cup more
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-medium high heat. Once it becomes bubbly and fragrant, add the celery, carrots, onion, poultry seasoning, and salt. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5-10 minutes.
- Pour the broth into the vegetables, then add the orzo and chicken and submerge them in the liquid. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low and allow soup to simmer for 10-14 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
- Pour the heavy cream and lemon juice into the soup slowly while stirring continuously. Once it is all combined, let it simmer an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in additional broth or lemon juice to reach desired flavor and consistency (see notes). Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot!
Notes
The orzo will soak up a lot of the liquid as it cooks. If you want a a more brothy consistency soup, you can add additional chicken broth at the step at the end to thin the soup to your preference.
I put a very conservative amount of lemon on the recipe to make sure it can appeal to all. If you like a more lemony flavor, I recommend adding additional lemon juice at the end to your desired flavor profile.