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lemon chicken orzo soup in a serving bowl with some croutons on the side.
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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

In this lemon chicken soup with orzo, you will find a delicious combination of flavors from fresh lemon, homemade chicken broth, and Italian seasonings. And, orzo pasta makes this soup wholesome and filling.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Lunch / Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Italian Inspired
Servings: 4
Calories: 316kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup orzo
  • 5-6 chicken drumsticks
  • 6 cup water
  • 2-3 garlic cloves smashed
  • ½ large onion roughly chopped
  • ½ onion diced
  • 2 medium celery sticks diced
  • 2 medium carrot peeled and diced
  • ½ bell pepper diced (use any color)
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
  • 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • In a large dutch oven heat 1 teaspoon oil on medium heat and then saute.
  • Add diced onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and saute for 3-4 min. Then take them out and keep aside
  • Now in the same pan add remaining oil, smashed garlic, and roughly chopped onion. Saute them for 1-2 min.
  • Add chicken drumsticks and cook them for 3-4 mins.
  • Then add water and bring mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer the mixture on low heat for 25 mins.
  • Using a small strainer or wire skimmer, take out the chicken, large pieces of onion, etc. in a large plate or bowl leaving behind liquid broth.
  • In the liquid broth add orzo, sauteed celery and carrot mixture, Italian seasonings, and cook the mixture for 4 mins.
  • Meanwhile, use a fork to separate the meat from its bones and shred into small pieces. Then add the shredded chicken back to the soup mixture. Also, add about 1-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and adjust seasonings if necessary.
  • Once the cooking is over, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the heat.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.

Notes

  1. In soup dishes always cook pasta partially about for 3-4 min less than that mentioned on its package. Because the hot soup base will continue to cook the pasta even after turning off the heat.
  2. Also, do not forget to remove the soup pot from the heat after the cooking is over. Else, it may overcook the orzo.
  3. Preferably, use freshly squeezed lemon juice. I feel it makes a difference to the taste.
  4. You can skip adding bell pepper to the soup if it's not one of your favorite choices.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 19.9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 6.2g | Iron: 3mg