Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Cosy and delicious Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup made with leftover roast chicken, hearty vegetables, orzo pasta and fresh, vibrant lemon. This soup feels so light and healthy but comforting and moreish at the same time plus it's super easy to make.
Servings: 4 - 6 servings
Calories: 386kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion (peeled)
- 1 large carrot (peeled)
- 1 large celery stick
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 and ⅓ cups good quality chicken stock low sodium (1.5 litres)
- ¼ cup white wine (60ml)
- 1 cup orzo pasta (200g)
- 2 cups shredded roast chicken (180g)
- ½ juice of a lemon
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Cut the peeled carrot in half lengthways then cut it into thin half rounds. Finely chop the onion and celery.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the vegetables, rosemary and bay. Saute the veg until the onion is soft and translucent then add the white wine. Let the wine reduce by half then add the chicken stock.
- Bring the soup to a simmer then continue to simmer the veg for about 25-30 minutes until soft.
- Once softened, add the shredded roast chicken and orzo pasta. Simmer until the pasta is cooked (about 5 minutes). Finally, add the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper to taste then serve.
Video
Notes
- Use high-quality ingredients - the stock is particularly important here. I recommend using either homemade chicken stock or good-quality low-sodium chicken stock. Some stocks can be high in salt and ruin the flavour of the soup.
- Don't skip the lemon - it seems obvious for a lemon chicken soup but the lemon juice added at the end adds so much vibrant and delicious flavour to the soup so don't skip it.
- To make homemade stock - see how to make homemade chicken stock in our Pastina Soup recipe which is a delicious Italian chicken noodle soup.
- Serving suggestions - our lemon chicken orzo soup is hearty and filling so all you need to add is a big hunk of crusty bread slathered with butter.
- Storing leftovers - leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days although the pasta will swell and soften so if you're planning on keeping leftovers in advance I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it when you're ready to eat it.
- Freezing - the soup can be frozen in suitable containers for up to 3 months. Defrost completely before reheating. As recommended above, don't add the pasta if you plan on freezing as it'll swell and turn mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2583IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg