Bright, comforting, and full of Mediterranean flavor, this Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon and Orzo combines tender chicken, silky orzo, and a lemony broth enriched with eggs. It's light yet satisfying and pairs beautifully with something fresh like an Greek Village Salad.
Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon and Orzo At A Glance
- ⏱ Total Time: 35 minutes (10 min prep + 25 min cook)
- 🍲 Servings: 6
- 🌍 Cuisine Type: Greek / Mediterranean comfort soup
- 🍋 Flavor Profile: Bright lemony broth with tender chicken, silky orzo, fresh herbs, and a creamy finish from eggs
- 🌾 Dietary Info: Gluten-free when made with gluten-free orzo; contains eggs
- 📦 Storage Notes: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The soup thickens as it sits, so add a little broth when reheating.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A cozy Mediterranean chicken soup with fresh lemon and herbs that tastes rich and comforting while still feeling light and fresh.
Save And Summarize This Recipe
Greek chicken soup with lemon and orzo is inspired by the classic Greek soup known as avgolemono, where eggs and lemon create a silky, comforting broth. The result is a soup that feels rich without being heavy and bright without being overpowering. If you enjoy Greek flavors, you might also like dishes like Greek chicken meatballs or a simple side of Greek Green Beans, both of which highlight the same fresh herbs and Mediterranean ingredients.
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This soup also fits right into a cozy soup rotation when the weather turns cooler or when you just want something nourishing and simple. If you enjoy homemade soups like my Chicken Soup, this Greek version offers a lighter, lemony twist. Another Mediterranean favorite is Italian Ribollita White Bean Soup, a hearty vegetable soup that's just as comforting and full of flavor.
Key Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Greek soup:
- Orzo - I use a gluten-free orzo for this recipe but feel free to substitute white rice, quinoa, or a regular orzo. I love DeLallo gluten-free orzo. It's not easy to find but I buy this on Amazon.
- Broth - I like using a chicken bone broth as the base to ramp up the nutrition; however, you can use any broth you like or use a chicken base like Better Than Bouillon or Cook's Delight.
- Lemon - Lemon is what gives this soup its bright, signature flavor. In testing, I found that using both wide strips of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice creates the best balance. The zest gently infuses the broth while the juice adds that clean, citrusy finish at the end. The lemon also works with the eggs to create the silky texture that makes this soup similar to classic avgolemono. If you enjoy cooking with lemon, you might also like the fresh citrus flavor in my lemon yogurt sauce, which uses the same bright Mediterranean ingredients.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Variations
- Veggies - Along with the carrots, celery, and spinach you can add zucchini or baby kale. I also like to add sometimes parsnip or turnip to sweeten up the soup sometimes.
- Herbs - While parsley is a staple in this recipe, dill and mint also work well. You can ramp up the spice by adding crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper.
- Protein - You can use shredded rotisserie chicken from the grocery store in place of the chicken in this recipe. Just add it at the end of the cooking as it is already cooked. You can substitute turkey or chickpeas in place of the chicken.
How To Make Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon And Orzo: Step-By-Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:
Step 1: Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Add a pinch of salt. Saute until just tender.
Step 2: Add the chicken broth, chicken, lemon zest strips, cloves, and the bay leaf.
Bring to a boil and then turn the burner down so the stock simmers. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
Remove the chicken and place it on a plate and reserve. Remove the lemon zest strips and the cloves.
Step 3: Add the orzo and turn up the heat to bring the stock to a boil.
While the orzo is cooking, shred the chicken breasts and add them back to the pot.
Continue cooking until the orzo is al dente, about 8 minutes.
Step 4: Turn off the heat.
Whisk the eggs together with the lemon juice.
Temper the eggs by slowly adding some of the hot stock to the eggs while whisking constantly.
Step 5: Add the eggs back to the stock and combine by whisking constantly until the soup has thickened.
Step 6: Stir in the spinach, parsley, and scallion. Taste the broth and add salt to taste.
Serve.
Recipe Tips
- Shred the Chicken Easily: Use two forks or a hand mixer to quickly shred the cooked chicken.
- Season Gradually: Add salt in small amounts and taste as you go to avoid over-seasoning, especially if you are using store-bought broth, which can be salty.
Gwen's Pro Tip
Make sure you temper your eggs or the eggs will scramble when you add them to the soup!
Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon And Orzo FAQ's
Orzo is an easy pasta to use in soup. It does not get mushy like other pasta shapes do when cooked in the soup.
Avgolemono when translated literally means egg lemon. Avgolemono has been used both as a soup and a sauce in recipes.
The soup has a creamy texture without adding in dairy. You will taste lemon, which brightens the soup.
What to Serve With Greek Chicken Soup
Let me know your thoughts on this Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon And Orzo by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Greek Chicken Soup With Lemon And Orzo (Gluten-Free)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 whole carrots cut into rounds
- 2 whole celery stalks chopped
- ½ whole onion chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 12 4" strips lemon zest from one lemon
- 2 whole whole cloves
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 cup orzo
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 egg yolks additional to the other eggs
- spinach a handful
- 1 whole scallion sliced thin
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Add a pinch of salt. Saute until just tender.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, lemon zest strips, cloves, and the bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil and then turn the burner down so the stock simmers. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and place it on a plate and reserve. Remove the lemon zest strips and the cloves.
- Add the orzo and turn up the heat to bring the stock to a boil.
- While the orzo is cooking, shred the chicken breasts and add them back to the pot. Continue cooking until the orzo is al dente, about 8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.
- Whisk the eggs together with the lemon juice.
- Temper the eggs by slowly adding some of the hot stock to the eggs while whisking constantly. See my notes below on tempering.
- Add the eggs back to the stock and combine by whisking constantly until the soup has thickened.
- Stir in the spinach, parsley, and scallion. Taste the broth and add salt to taste.
- Serve.
Gwen Wolken says
You will love this recipe!