Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is a high-protein stew or soup recipe ready in 40 min. It makes 4 servings, each 660 kcal with 38 g protein. Beginner level, 12 ingredients.
Recipe by @bitesofberi, adapted and measured by Cookpath.
- 40 min12 min hands-on
- Beginnerlevel
- 660kcal a serving
- 38 gprotein
What is Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
A one-pot chicken soup with carrot, celery and orzo, brightened with lemon juice.
- Stews & soups · Chicken
- Sautéing & stir-fry
- Boiling
How to make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Tips from the cook
- Start with half a lemon (less if it is large) and add juice or zest to taste.
- Do not overcook the orzo: add the chicken and lemon just before it is done.
- Chicken breast works instead of thighs; spinach or kale can go in at the end.
Step by step with timers, in your shopping list in one tap.
Goes well with
Sides from Cookpath that balance this dish, the same picks the app suggests.
Meal prep and storage
The orzo soaks up broth: add more stock or water if you like it thinner, also when reheating.
Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge.
See this week’s meal prep plan on the blog, or plan your own week in the app.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup substitutions
Out of something, or cooking around an allergy. Each swap was checked against a source.
Onion2 options
- Leek, white and light-green part 1:1 by volume
Still an allium; raw dishes.
- Fennel bulb, finely diced 1:1 by volume
Sweet aniseed note; raw dishes.
Celery stick2 options
- Fennel bulb, sliced 1:1 by volume
Slight aniseed taste.
- Carrot or parsnip 1:1 by volume
Sweeter.
Chicken stock3 options
- Vegetable stock (check the label for celery) 1:1 by volume
Less poultry flavour; the page notes vegetable broth usually has celery, carrots, onions.
Still contains celery.
- Mushroom broth (dried or fresh shiitake simmered in plain water 20-30 min) 1:1 by volume
Earthy taste.
- Miso whisked into hot water (1-2 tsp per 1 cup) 1:1 by volume
Add late; do not boil hard.
Still contains soy.
Orzo3 options
- Ditalini (or macaroni, stelline) 1:1 by weight; similar small-pasta cook time
Larger shapes such as fusilli/farfalle cook longer.
Still contains gluten.
- Long-grain rice roughly 1:1 by weight; rice needs more liquid and different timing (unverified)
Texture differs from pasta.
- Gluten-free small pasta / gluten-free orzo use a labelled gluten-free one; page says GF orzo exists but is hard to find
Availability.
Still contains gluten.
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