Lemon Orzo Soup with Chicken
and vegetable sticks / ranch dressing
Lemon juice stirred in at the end of cooking gives this simple soup a bright, fresh flavor.
Smarts: If making the soup ahead (or planning on having leftovers), cook the orzo separately and stir it into the soup just before serving. The orzo will absorb most of the liquid if combined too far ahead of time.
Ingredients
- Cilantro leaves - 1 Tbsp, finely chopped
- Chives (opt) - 1 Tbsp, finely chopped
- Mayonnaise - 2 Tbsp
- Vinegar, white wine - 1 tsp
- Sour cream - 1/4 cup (sub plain or Greek yogurt)
- Dill, dried (opt) - 1/2 tsp
- Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp
- Onions, medium - 1/2, diced
- Rotisserie chicken - 1/2, meat shredded
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Thyme, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Stock, any type - 3 1/2 cups
- Bay leaves - 2
- Pasta, uncooked gluten-free orzo - 3/4 cup (sub any small gluten-free pasta shape)
- Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
- Cucumbers - 8 oz, sticks for dipping
- Carrots, baby - 8 oz
- Ranch Dressing (ingredients listed separately) - 1/2 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Onions - Chop onions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make ranch dressing - Skip if dressing was made ahead for Tuesday. Finely chop cilantro and chives. Combine cilantro, chives, mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream, dried dill, and garlic powder. Add a splash of water or milk if the dressing is too thick. (Can be done up to 4 days ahead)
- Rotisserie chicken - Skip if meat was shredded ahead for Tuesday. Take meat off the bone and shred with a knife. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Cucumbers - Slice cucumbers into sticks for dipping. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and then onions. Saute onions until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add thyme and saute for 1 minute more.
- Pour stock over onions and add bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
- When soup is simmering, add orzo. Simmer until orzo is tender, ~10 minutes.
- Turn off heat under soup and stir in chicken and lemon juice. Season with some salt.
- Serve soup with cucumbers and carrots on the side for dipping in dressing. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
39 reviews
The flavors in this soup are awesome. The only problem is the Orzo soaks up the broth insanely. Due to that and the price difference, I think I'll try it with pearl couscous next time. It freezes well, though when is reheats it's more of a risotto feel, but still tasty and nourishing.
0 HelpfulEasy, good. Used rotisserie, nice alternate version of chicken soup. Made whole30- compliant & packed for lunches. The user recommending red pepper flakes is good idea.
0 HelpfulJust made the soup since we had a salad kit on hand to pair with it. Definitely needed extra broth! We added extra onion and thyme, plus some lemon zest. Really savory and delicious!
0 HelpfulKids loved it, we loved it, it’s all great. I used bone broth (aka fancy stock) and I didn’t have any left to take to work the next day.
0 HelpfulSo easy, esp since I already had a shredded rotisserie chicken in the freezer. Made it for my in-laws after a long international flight to help nourish and hydrate them.
0 Helpful