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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon chicken orzo soup with bright lemon-herb broth and tender orzo, simmered with chicken breast until shreddable. Optional avgolemono egg-lemon finishing sauce creates a silky texture without curdling.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
Orzo
  • 1 orzo pasta
Carrots
  • 3 carrots, sliced
Celery
  • 3 celery, sliced
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 4 garlic, minced
Chicken broth
  • 8 cup chicken broth
Lemon juice
  • 0.3333333333 cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Spinach
  • 2 cup baby spinach
Fresh dill
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Eggs (optional)
  • 2 eggs (optional, for Greek egg-lemon/avgolemono style)
Salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Build the broth
  1. Add the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic smells toasty.
  2. Add the chicken broth and chicken breast, then bring to a simmer and cook for 18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  3. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return the shredded chicken to the pot.
Cook the orzo
  1. Stir in the orzo and simmer for 8-9 minutes until tender, with the broth thickening slightly.
Finish with lemon (choose one method)
  1. For avgolemono style: whisk the eggs with the lemon juice, then slowly ladle hot broth into the eggs while whisking continuously, until the mixture looks light and warmed.
  2. For avgolemono style: stir the egg-lemon mixture back into the pot and heat gently just until combined, keeping the soup from coming to a hard boil.
  3. For regular style: stir in the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, then taste and adjust to keep the flavor bright.
Add greens and herbs
  1. Stir in the baby spinach and cook just until wilted.
  2. Add the chopped fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with a visible pop of green and flecks of dill on top.

Notes

Pro tip: if using the avgolemono option, keep the soup at a gentle heat after adding the egg mixture to avoid curdling. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in a sealed container; reheat on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing is not recommended because the eggs can change texture when thawed and reheated. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium chicken broth and keep the chicken breast as is, which lowers overall sodium without changing the method.