Description
A comforting and flavorful Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup loaded with tender chicken breasts, fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, and kale, simmered in a savory chicken broth with lemon zest and juice for a bright, refreshing finish. Perfect for a cozy weeknight meal made entirely in one pot.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
Main Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs uncooked chicken breasts
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
Finishing Touches
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 4 cups kale leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat and sauté vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots, sautéing until softened, about 5 minutes. Next, add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add broth and chicken. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the uncooked chicken breasts along with oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer the soup. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes to cook the chicken through.
- Cook the orzo. Add the uncooked orzo to the simmering soup. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente and the chicken is tender enough to shred.
- Shred chicken and add finishing ingredients. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, shred or cut them into pieces, and return them to the soup. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped kale leaves. Mix well to combine and cook until the kale is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Season and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup hot and enjoy a delicious, hearty meal.
Notes
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control sodium levels.
- For a heartier soup, substitute or add other vegetables like spinach or zucchini.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and use vegetable broth with additional beans or tofu.
- Adding lemon zest and juice at the end preserves the bright citrus flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 6th of recipe
- Calories: 232 kcal
- Sugar: 2.9 g
- Sodium: 466.4 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.5 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 28.2 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg
