One-Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Fresh Dill
Made with tender chicken thighs, fresh dill, and small orzo pasta, this one-pot lemon chicken orzo soup is light, comforting, and full of flavor. Everything cooks in a Dutch oven, building rich chicken broth as it goes, then finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon for brightness. Ready in under an hour and great for leftovers, it’s an easy homemade soup you’ll want to keep in your freezer all year long.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 6 green onions (sliced)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (1 ½ lbs)
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup orzo
- ½ cup fresh dill (chopped)
- lemon
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil and when hot, add chopped celery and green onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and broth and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until chicken has cooked through, about 20 minutes, a meat thermometer should read at least 175º. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
- Bring the liquid to a boil and then add orzo and cook uncovered until it has softened, about 10-12 minutes.
- With two forks, shred the chicken and add it back to the pot along with chopped dill. Let it sit for a few minutes until the pasta has absorbed the broth. Squeeze lemon juice over soup before serving.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- You can substitute any shaped pasta for orzo.
- You can use chicken breasts but they won't have as much flavor as thighs, remove them when they reach 165º.
- The orzo will continue to absorb liquid the longer it sits, if needed you can add additional chicken broth.
- You can adjust the recipe by adding more chicken for a heartier stew.
- For leftovers, add a squeeze of lemon over the top after reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1343mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
