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Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup, also known as cozy winter soup that’s light and healthy. Caramelized garlic, fresh herbs, lots of lemon, kale, and chicken broth all make for a tasty, warming soup. There’s even some orzo pasta for good measure, because I do believe that every good soup needs carbs. This is quick, easy, and SO DELICIOUS. You can make it on the stove or in the crockpot, either way it’s going to be good. The aroma will fill your home with the cozy smell of homemade chicken soup…that’s heavy on the garlic…and the lemon. So the best kind of chicken soup!
Please tell me that you guys are still very much enjoying soup? Because over here, it’s still very much soup weather, with temperatures dipping into the negatives overnight. Surely soup weather, right?
In all seriousness, over the last few months I’ve been making a new soup recipe every other week. You’d think I might start to get sick of it, or run out of new ideas. But nope, soup is still exciting me. Crossing my fingers you feel the same way.
This is actually a soup I made a few weeks ago over Christmas. I quickly realized that I needed to have a large batch of something continually simmering away on the stove. That way there was always something for people to snack on throughout the day. What better than chicken soup? It’s the perfect thing to warm up to after coming in from outside. And this chicken soup also happened to do wonders for the cold that many family members seemed to have caught. So not only is this soup good, but will also help to fight off your winter cold.
Cool. Cool.
I don’t know if you guys remember this lemon butter chicken and orzo that I made last year. But it was the inspiration behind the making of this soup. I can’t tell you how much I love that skillet chicken. It’s probably one of my more favorite skillet recipes. I even made it the other day on Instagram. It’s so good.
Anyway, I love the flavors of that dish so much that I decided to turn them into a healthy soup. Which is where this recipe comes in.
It’s everything I love so much about that skillet chicken, but in soup form. Plus the addition of caramelized garlic and a little parmesan too…
Just as good, maybe better. Just depends what kind of mood you’re in!
Start out by searing the chicken in some olive oil, then add the garlic to caramelize it. I LOVE cooking the garlic slowly in the oil and allowing it to become soft, fragrant, and golden brown. It takes that garlicy bite out of the garlic and mellows it out, turning it buttery and sweet. Yummm.
Once you’ve finished searing, add all the remaining ingredients and cook until the chicken is cooked through and falling apart. I prefer to use bone-in chicken, as it adds flavor to the broth, buy you can also use boneless.
I flavored the broth with fresh herbs, plenty of lemon, and a little parmesan. It’s perfectly light and almost spring like, but still cozy enough for winter.
For the orzo, I think it’s easiest to boil it outside of the soup. I know a lot of recipes will tell you to just boil the pasta in the soup. But if you have leftovers, the soup with soak up all the broth, which is a major bummer. SO, I boil the pasta separately, and then add it to each bowl of soup. The heat from the broth will warm the pasta, making leftovers great for lunch the next day.
And on the topic of orzo, I am obsessed. Ever since last year when I made the lemon butter chicken and orzo I cannot stop using it in recipes. It’s my favorite…see these stuffed peppers, these lamb meatballs, these scallops, and this grilled zucchini.
Yup. Obsessed.
With plenty of snow in the forecast, I’m thinking it’s time for another round of this soup. It’s been a few weeks since I made it, and writing this post now has me craving a bowl.
I’ll take mine with extra orzo, lemon, and probably a sprinkle of parmesan too. Oh, and a side of crusty bread. Always bread with soup. Always.
Hope you guys enjoy and happy Wednesday!
If you make this lemony garlic chicken and orzo soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 981 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8-12 large cloves of garlic, smashed (use to your taste)
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt and pepper
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 parmesan rind, plus grated parmesan, for serving
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill, plus more for serving
- juice of 2 lemons (or to taste)
- 1 pound orzo pasta
Instructions
Stove-Top
- 1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low, add the smashed garlic cloves and cook another 3-5 minutes, until golden. Add the carrots, sage, thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth, parmesan rind, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or up to 4-6 hours over low heat. 3. Remove the chicken and shred. Stir the kale, dill, and lemon juice into the soup, cooking another 5 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf. Stir back in the shredded chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper.4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to packaged directions, until al dente. Drain.5. Divide the orzo among bowls and pour the soup over top. Top each bowl with fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the olive oil, chicken, garlic cloves, carrots, sage, thyme, broth, parmesan rind, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season the salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 4-5 hours. 3. Once done cooking, remove the chicken and shred. Stir the kale, dill, and lemon juice into the soup, cooking another 10 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf. Stir back in the shredded chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper.4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to packaged directions, until al dente. Drain.5. Divide the orzo among bowls and pour the soup over top. Top each bowl with fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
Instant Pot
- 1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. 2. Set Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Stir in the smashed garlic cloves and cook another 3-5 minutes, until golden. Add the carrots, sage, thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the broth, parmesan rind, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. 3. Remove the chicken and shred. 4. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Stir the orzo, kale, dill, and lemon juice, cooking another 8 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf. Stir back in the shredded chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper.5. Divide the soup among bowls. Top each bowl with fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
This post was originally published on January 16, 2019
Made this for a ladies’ night in tonight. Was looking for a lighter, healthy soup. This delivered. Loved the brightness of the extra lemon.
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan
It’s flu season, so I made a big pot of this tonight, adding fresh ginger and turmeric for immunity support! Can’t wait to sip on this all week. Thanks for sharing it with us !! xx
Yes I love that! I am so glad you enjoyed this! xTieghan
This recipe is a keeper! Outstanding! The entire family agreed. ?
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Nancy! xTieghan
How large is a serving?
Hi! I am unsure of what the exact amount of a serving size is. I would guess 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Best tasting soup ever! We drank up every drop. And had enough for two days dinner. Fabulous!
Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Made this on the stove top and it was super good! I loved the texture of the orzo instead of traditional pasta. It was such a warm soup, perfect for this crappy Utah weather.
Yes! Such a comfort food for a cold evening! I am so glad you loved this and I hope you’re staying warm! xTieghan
Loved this recipe but found it to be too much orzo (I made it in my instant pot) next time I would probably cut the orzo amount in half, as it ended up absorbing a good amount of the broth!
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Hadley! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this last night for my family and simply omitted the orzo & the parm rind (we try to eat GF & DF). I put a generous helping of nutritional yeast in with a teaspoon of red miso paste to replace the umami taste of cheese. We all enjoyed it-except my daughter who didn’t like the lemon. Next time I’ll just pull her portion out before adding the lemon. ?????? It was so tasty!
I am so glad you all loved this Kristi! Thank you so much for making it!
Just made this tonight in the instant pot. Delicious! I substituted spinach for the kale, but otherwise made the recipe just as it is. I will definitely make it again!
Hi Anissa! I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for making it!
You really got me with that soup! I wish we could eat them year round–okay, I get cold soups! I just get into the chopping process and the smells of all the ingredients becoming friends!
I love your photography and styling. If I could pick your brain for a second–my daughter is getting married in July. It’s outdoors and after the ceremony there is a cocktail hour outdoors as well. Many guests, but only 13 tall tables…a chance to mingle, I guess. I need to decorate the tables. Candles are a no go since it’s not dark. Flowers okay, but no nibbles because we can’t keep replenishing. I am doing monogrammed napkins and again flowers. Maybe mints? Why would you do???
I’d appreciate your help!
Jane
HI Jane! If you can, I’d make cookies for the tables! The lemon rose cookies I just shared would be so perfect and beautiful for a wedding. What a fun touch! Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you and congrats to your daughter! xTieghan
I have been obsessed with this soup as we are currently experiencing a polar vortex here in Minnesota. This soup is deeply satisfying and the lemon adds an extra dimension of warmth and brightness. It was popular in the house and I plan to make it again this evening.
That is so amazing! I hope you’re staying warm and the soup is helping!
This was delicious and so easy. The garlic brings it up a notch. I have already referred his recipe to my friends! Thank you!
Thank you so much Dana!
Made this last night and it’s sooo good. It’s the perfect winter soup. My boyfriend even said, “Don’t tell my mom, but I like this more than her chicken soup.” ?
Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Wow that is so amazing! I am so glad you both loved this recipe!
I tried the instant pot version and after the orzo had cooked there was no broth left? ??♀️ It was more like a pasta dish. Delicious, but not soup. ? Any suggestions?
Hey Jennie! How much broth did you use? At what point did you add the orzo and how long did you cook it for? Any info on how you made the recipe would be really helpful. Thank you!
Can you freeze the leftovers?
HI! Yes, the leftover freeze really well. I would freeze without the pasta, then addd the pasta after thawing. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I want to freeze this for when baby #3 comes 🙂 Q: after the freezer meal is thawed, I add the orzo when I reboil it? Thanks!!
Hi there! Yes, I would add the orzo when you cook it 🙂 xxTieghan