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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Lemon chicken orzo soup with a bright lemon-herb broth and tender orzo cooked right in the pot. Shredded chicken, sweet carrots, and wilted spinach make a comforting Mediterranean main with optional avgolemono egg-lemon thickening.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
Orzo pasta
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
Vegetables
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 3 celery, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
Broth and lemon
  • 8 cup chicken broth
  • 0.3333333333 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
Olive oil and greens
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste
Optional eggs for avgolemono
  • 2 eggs (optional, for Greek egg-lemon/avgolemono style)

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, stirring until beginning to soften and look glossy.
Bloom aromatics
  1. Add the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
Simmer the soup base
  1. Add the chicken broth and the chicken breast to the pot, then simmer for 18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Shred the chicken
  1. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, and return the shredded chicken back into the broth.
Cook the orzo
  1. Add the orzo and simmer for 8-9 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
Choose avgolemono or regular lemon finish
  1. For avgolemono style, whisk the eggs with the lemon juice in a bowl, then slowly ladle hot broth into the eggs while whisking to temper; stir the mixture back into the pot and cook gently just until combined.
  2. For regular style, stir the lemon juice and lemon zest directly into the pot and simmer briefly just to warm through.
Finish with spinach and dill
  1. Add the baby spinach and stir for 1-2 minutes until wilted, then stir in the fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste, adjusting to brighten the flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer gently during the avgolemono step—temper the eggs slowly and avoid boiling so the soup stays silky. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; freezer: yes, but the texture may change slightly once eggs are included. Dietary swap: use gluten-free orzo (or small GF pasta) to make it gluten-free while keeping the same cook times.