Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe

This Greek lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is so comforting and satisfying. Packed with vegetables and orzo, this hearty chicken soup makes for a delicious weeknight dinner.

If you are looking for a new and tasty recipe to add to your soup recipes, look no more, this lemon orzo soup is it! Mediterranean cuisine, especially Greek, always use fresh and wholesome ingredients, which makes the food very flavorful. When it comes to soup recipes, I love using fresh herbs and ingredients to make them healthy, filling and satisfying. Our Mediterranean lentil soup recipe is a staple in our house and everyone loves a bowl of light and delicious avgolemono, which is a bit similar to today's recipe.

Table Of Contents:

• Why this recipe works
• What is orzo? 
• Ingredients and substitutions
• How to make lemon chicken orzo soup
• Other cooking methods
• Serving suggestions
• Storage and freezing
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Greek recipes
• Step-by-Step Recipe

Why this recipe works

When we're craving soup, this chicken orzo soup is one of the first options that comes to mind. It's simple, easy, and very delicious thanks to the herbs and spices used in the recipe. The addition of orzo makes the soup hearty and a bit thick and there is no need for you to add additional cream.

Since the chicken is roasted separately in the oven and then added to the soup at the very end, it keeps its delicious flavor and doesn't dry out at all. The addition of dill and spinach give such nice flavor and makes it a perfect weeknight dinner for chilly nights.

What is orzo? 

Orzo, also known as risoni, is a short-cut pasta, shaped like a grain of rice. It can be served on its own, with seafood such as this lemon ginger shrimp orzo, in soup or even in salads. You can also add in to different casseroles, like our favorite meatball orzo casserole. 

Orzo is an Italian product, however, there are equivalents to orzo in other cuisines: Kritharaki in Greek cuisine, Arpa sehriye in Turkish cuisine and Lisan al-usfur in Arab cuisine. To learn more about orzo, please check out Spruce Eats' article about orzo and how to cook it. 

Ingredients and substitutions

• Chicken breast: You need boneless skinless chicken breast. It's also possible to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs or bone-in skin-on chicken pieces. Make sure to discard the bones and skin before adding the chicken to the soup.
• Onion and garlic: These would be the base of our soup. My recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic, but you can use fewer cloves.
• Carrot: Adds a nice color and flavor to the soup. You can add more or less depending on your liking.
• Potato: Russet or yukon gold potatoes work best for this recipe.
• Spices: You need Mediterranean spices including oregano, salt, paprika and cumin. 
• Chicken stock: You can use homemade or store-bought chicken stock or even vegetable stock.
• Orzo: Find dry orzo in the pasta section of any supermarket.
• Dill and spinach: Fresh dill works best for this recipe, but if not available, dried dill would work, too. If using baby spinach, there is no need to chop it however if you're going to use regular spinach, it's best to chop it.
• Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds so much flavor and brightness to the soup.

Other cooking methods

Here are the instructions on how to make lemon chicken orzo soup in the slow cooker and the instant pot.

• Slow cooker instructions
  1. Brush the chicken with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and add chopped onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, spices and chicken stock to the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
  2. Take the chicken out and shred it or chop it. Return the chicken back to the crock pot and add the orzo to the soup. Cook uncovered on high for 30 minutes until the orzo is cooked and then add lemon, dill and spinach.
  3. Cook for a few more minutes until spinach is wilted. Do a taste test to make sure you've added enough salt and lemon, then serve. 

• Instant pot instructions
  1. Cut the chicken into small chunks and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Turn the pot on to sauté function. Heat the olive oil in the pot and sauté onion and garlic until golden. Add in the chicken and sauté until golden on all sides. Add in the carrot and potato plus the spices along with the orzo. Give it a nice stir and then add 6 cups chicken stock.
  2. Secure the lid and turn the steam knob to sealing. Press the pressure cook (manual) button and set the timer for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is done, do a quick release.
  3. When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid and add the lemon, spinach and dill. Press the sauté button and let the soup simmer until spinach is wilted. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed. 

Serving suggestions

This Greek lemon chicken orzo soup is a complete meal on its own. You can serve it with a side salad such as Greek salad, Mediterranean salad or cucumber tomato feta salad. It would also go well with some fresh bread such as lavash.

Storage and freezing

Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can reheat this soup in the microwave or in a sauce pan over medium heat. 

You can also freeze this soup. It's best to make the soup without lemon, dill and spinach and freeze it in a freezer safe container until you're ready to heat it.

When ready to heat it, take the frozen soup out of the container and into a pot. Add ½ cup water, turn the heat to medium and let the soup heat in the pot. Once the soup is hot and simmering, add spinach, lemon juice and dill. Give it a stir and cook until the spinach is wilted. When you add the the spinach and dill fresh, the soup will taste much better. 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Greek recipes

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Step-by-Step Recipe