Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup

Chicken lemon orzo soup is light yet hearty with a tangy zip from freshly squeezed lemon juice. This comforting meal comes together in just about 30 minutes, perfect for a light lunch or easy dinner!

You’re going to love this chicken lemon orzo soup Panera copycat recipe that is so fresh and vibrant that if there were such thing as a summer soup, this would be it!

I don’t think Panera has brought it back in years, luckily making it at home is super easy.

It’s loaded with chicken, fresh lemon, tender orzo, and spinach making it filling and cozy too.

I was originally going to make this a slow cooker soup (and you still could), but it comes together in about 30 minutes on the stovetop.

You can go semi-homemade and pick up a rotisserie chicken to chop up (best idea ever), or boil some chicken breasts, or make some in the instant pot.

This soup is so good. The more lemon the better, in my book!

Ingredients needed for Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup

• Orzo – Looks like rice, but is in fact, pasta.
• Chicken Broth – You can use chicken broth or stock. I have a really nice slow cooker chicken stock recipe you could use here.
• Chicken – To make this recipe quickly, use cooked chicken. Instant pot shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken are my go-tos.
• Lemon Juice & Zest – For the light flavor, you’ll squeeze in half a lemon and add the zest as well. You can add more or less, to taste. Like in my crockpot lemon chicken, we like a lot of lemon!
• Spinach – Fresh baby spinach. 5 oz will look like a lot but it quickly wilts down.
• Seasonings – For flavor, you’ll add onion, garlic, dried oregano, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

How to make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

1. Step One: Partially cook the orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set it aside.

2. Step Two: In a separate large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat (this can be done while the orzo cooks). Cook the chopped onion and diced carrot for about 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the minced garlic for another minutes.
   
3. Step Three: Season with oregano, salt, pepper, and the bay leave. Stir and cook everything for about 30 seconds before pouring in the chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Step Four: Stir in the orzo, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cooked chopped chicken and let that cook until the chicken is heated through. Add spinach and cook for the last 2-3 minutes until it wilts.

5. Step Five: Ladle the Greek lemon chicken orzo soup into bowls and serve with crusty bread. Feel free to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese in there too!

Storage & Reheating

How to store leftovers

Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. As the soup sits, the pasta will absorb some of the broth, so as it reheats, you’ll probably want to add a bit more broth.

Freezing Instructions

If you are going into this knowing you’ll be freezing the soup for later, I suggest leaving the orzo out and adding it in once you reheat it to serve. The texture of pasta changes once it freezes.

Once completely cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat with fresh orzo the next day.

Reheating Instructions

You can reheat this soup in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat.

5 from 9 votes

Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup

Created by Melissa Williams

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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Chicken lemon orzo soup is a light but filling meal with tender chicken, orzo, and a bright kick of fresh lemon. Ready in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup orzo
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 small onion diced
• ▢ 1 medium carrot peeled and diced small
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 medium bay leaf
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ 32 ounces chicken broth
• ▢ 1.5 cups cooked chicken chopped
• ▢ ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 5 ounces fresh baby spinach

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the orzo until partially cooked, but not fully cooked (about 5 minutes). Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
  1 cup orzo
• While the orzo is cooking, heat another large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, then add the chopped onion and diced carrot. Cook until the onion is translucent and the carrot is soft, 5-7 minutes.
  1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 small onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 medium carrot
• Add the minced garlic to the onion and stir.
• Season the mixture with oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
  ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 medium bay leaf, salt & pepper
• Pour in the chicken broth.
  32 ounces chicken broth
• Bring the broth to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked orzo, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped cooked chicken. Cook until the chicken is heated through.
  1.5 cups cooked chicken, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, zest of 1 lemon
• Add in the baby spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
  5 ounces fresh baby spinach
• Ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes

• Use shredded chicken thighs, breasts, or even a whole rotisserie chicken—your choice!
•  You can swap the orzo with ditalini pasta, acini di pepe, or even rice if desired.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best; avoid using bottled juice for optimal flavor.
• Adjust the lemon to taste—the listed amount is just a starting point.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

⭐️ Final Step! Please let me know how you liked this recipe by leaving a review and rating below. Your feedback supports my small business and allows me to continue providing free, high quality recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1679IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published August 11, 2015; photos and text updated April 11, 2025