Greek Lemon Orzo Soup

Greek lemon orzo soup is a healthy, family favorite recipe full of wholesome ingredients that is light enough for a spring or summer meal but cozy enough to warm the soul on a cold winter’s day.

I love a recipe that is easy to make, healthy for my family, and versatile enough to be served anytime of the year. This Greek lemon orzo soup checks all of those boxes!

This soup is bright & light with a lemon broth base, healthy with loads of fresh diced veggies & chicken breast, and cozy because this soup is comforting without being too heavy.

If you’re looking for a soup that can be served anytime of the year, this Greek lemon orzo soup recipe is for you! It’s lemony flavor is deliciously fresh during the warmer months, and it’s hearty texture is ideal for warming the belly on a cold winter’s day. This soup can be made ahead of time and leftovers can easily be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Greek lemon orzo soup tastes similar to chicken noodle soup, but elevated with deeper, richer flavors!

Soup & Salad Blog Hop

Today, I’m joining 10 blogging friends to bring you soup and salad recipes! There are so many delicious recipes in this blog hop (I’m excited to try them all!), continue reading to the end of this post for links to all the soup and salad blog posts.

You might also enjoy these other soup recipes that my family loves! This slow cooker chicken & corn soup is creamy and delicious, and nothing says cozy more than this butternut squash soup with grilled cheese croutons.

Jump to Recipe

Ingredients for Greek Lemon Orzo Soup

• Carrots & Onion: The aromatic base for the soup.
• Butter & Olive Oil: To sauté the root vegetables.
• Garlic: For depth of flavor. I use a micro-plane and grate the garlic into the soup pot.
• Flour: The thickening agent.
• Chicken Bone Broth: Bone broth has a deeper, richer flavor than store bought chicken stock or broth.
• Chicken Breast
• Orzo: Similar to rice but cooks much faster, see below for more on this small pasta.
• Lemon Zest & Juice: Adds brightness to the soup.
• Fresh Baby Spinach: A nice pop of green and another layer of healthiness in the soup.
• Parsley: Adds freshness.
• Chives: A subtle onion flavor.
• Salt & Pepper to taste.

What is orzo?

If you are not familiar with orzo, it’s a small, oval, rice shaped pasta. In Italy, orzo is classified as pastina or “little pasta,” which is a category of very small pastas. Orzo is typically used in soups, but I also like to use it in pasta dishes or pasta salads. It is a great alternative to rice and cooks much faster.

How to Make Greek Lemon Orzo Soup

In a Dutch oven, sauté the diced onions and carrots with olive oil & butter until softened. Add the garlic & lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds, followed by the flour. Pour in the chicken broth, and stir until flour has completely dissolved.

Add in the uncooked chicken breast. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the orzo, and simmer until cooked al dente, stirring frequently.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the pot and dice into bite-sized pieces. Add it back in along with the lemon juice, julienned spinach, chopped parsley & chives, and salt & pepper. Enjoy!

Greek Lemon Orzo Soup Substitutions & Variations

• Make this recipe even easier with a store bought rotisserie chicken. Remove the white & dark meat from the bones, and add into the soup around the same time as the orzo.
• Leeks would be a great addition to this soup or used in place in of the yellow onion.
• Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for a meatier flavor.
• Substitute rice in place of the orzo. Cooking time would need to be adjusted since rice takes longer to cook than orzo.
• Not a fan of a strong lemon flavor? Omit the zest from the recipe and use less lemon juice.

What to Serve With This Soup

Our family loves this soup served with a side of Greek salad or a tasty grilled sandwich like grilled cheese (is there anyone who doesn’t love grilled cheese?!). Here I served our Greek lemon orzo soup with a slice of sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with shredded parmesan cheese. Yummy!!! It’s such a fun, crispy, delicious dipper for this soup!

Continue reading to the end of this blog post, there are some great salad & sandwich recipe ideas that would go perfectly with this Greek lemon orzo soup as well.

How to Store Soup Leftovers

Greek lemon orzo soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. The orzo will soak up the broth, so you may need to add more broth when reheating.

This soup can be frozen as well. However, if making this soup ahead of time, I suggest leaving the orzo out until you are ready to eat & serve. The pasta will become puffed and soak up most of the broth if stored in the freezer with the soup.

Reheat your soup in a pot on the stove or in a microwave safe container in the microwave.

More Comfort Food Inspiration

For more easy to make, delicious, comfort food meals, snacks, desserts, and drinks check out these other ERH recipes.

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I look forward to sharing more of my home with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LIKEtoKNOW.it.

xoxo, heidi

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Blogger’s Best Soup and Salad Recipes

1. Creamy Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup | Twelve on Main
2. Easy Taco Soup Slow Cooker Recipe | Inspiration for Moms
3. Lemony Shrimp, Orzo, Kalamata Salad | Classic Casual Home
4. Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe (Sunomono) | Happy Happy Nester
5. Easy Tuscan Winter Soup | Most Lovely Things
6. Sweet Corn Gazpacho Soup | Paint Me Pink
7. Overnight Crockpot French Onion Soup | My Sweet Savannah
8. Quick and Easy Tomato Soup with Salsa Verde | Make Mine A Spritzer
9. The Best Peanut Soup and Salad Recipe | My 100 Year Old Home
10. Greek Lemon Orzo Soup | Eleanor Rose Home

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