Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (in a Soup Maker)

This lemon chicken orzo soup is light, zesty, and comforting. It’s perfect for springtime, or for those days when you want something a bit lighter but still warming.

I’ve made this version in the soup maker, with cooked orzo stirred in at the end to keep the texture just right.

How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I made this recipe in a Ninja Soup Maker but it can be made in any soup maker, just make sure you use cooked chicken in other models – unless the manufacturer specifies that you can use raw meat.

What You Need

For more concise ingredients and instructions, or to print the recipe out, please head to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Chicken

I used 2 raw chicken breasts, chopped up into bite sized pieces. You can use breast or thigh, whatever you have. If you’ve got leftover roast chicken, this is a perfect way to use it up.

Orzo

I used 100g of cooked orzo.. I cooked it separately and stirred it in at the end.

Vegetables

I kept it simple with 1 chopped carrot, 1 celery stick, and an onion. You can also throw in a handful of spinach or peas at the end if you fancy something green.

Garlic & Lemon

I used 3 tbsp of frozen chopped garlic, but if you are using fresh cloves, just peel and crush 2 to 3 of them, depending on how much you love garlic. For the lemon, I used the zest and juice of half a lemon – you can add more at the end to taste.

Stock

I added 1 chicken stock pot and filled with hot water to the MAX line. You can use low-salt stock if you prefer to adjust the seasoning at the end.

Herbs & Seasoning

I added 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 tsp of dried oregano. Other herbs that work well with this soup are basil and thyme.

Cheese

I added some grated cheddar cheese to my soup on serving, but you can use any type of cheese, grated parmesan is a good choice.

Making It

Add Everything In

Start by chopping the onion, carrot, and celery, then add them straight into the soup maker. Next, add the crushed garlic, chopped raw chicken, and the zest of half a lemon. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon – you can always add more later if you want it extra zesty.

Crumble in a stock cube or add a stock pot, then season with a little salt and pepper. Pour in hot water right up to the MAX line – no need to measure, just fill it to the top.

Set the Soup Maker Off

For this soup, I usually go with the chunky setting – it keeps the vegetables and chicken in lovely bite-sized pieces. If you prefer a smoother soup with the texture coming from the stirred-in orzo, you could use the smooth setting. About 10 to 15 minutes before the end of the cycle start cooking the orzo according to the packet instructions.

Stir in the Orzo

Once the soup maker has finished its cycle, carefully lift the lid and stir in your cooked orzo. This is also a great time to add a handful of spinach or peas if you fancy – they only need a minute or two to soften in the residual heat.

Taste and Adjust

Before serving, have a little taste. You might want to add a bit more lemon juice, or an extra pinch of salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and finish with some freshly chopped parsley or a sprinkle of grated parmesan or cheddar – and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this lemon, chicken and orzo soup, let me know in the comments if you make it!

More Chicken Soup Maker Recipes

There are plenty of different chicken soup recipes for the soup maker, here are some of my favourites:

• Chicken and Chorizo Soup
• Jerk Chicken Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Piri Piri Chicken Soup

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