Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I made this for lunch and it was spectacular. The spices were right on. Really, really good!! I cut the recipe in half and added the lemon "to taste". I have made enough recipes with lemon to know that all lemons are different. I added the zest of one lemon and tasted the soup. It was "almost" perfect. I added just a tablespoon of juice after that and it was perfectly lemony, just how we like it. Also, I just added the uncooked orzo to the soup and let it boil for about 8 minutes. We didn't have any left overs. Anyone that isn't familiar with cooking with orzo should know that it does completely soak up the broth where leftovers are concerned, so if you know you are making more than will be eaten, you should make it on the side and add to each bowl; otherwise, the next day there will not be any liquid in the soup left. Delicious and I will be making this again soon!!

Wonderful soup. Only change was to keep the orzo and soup separate as I planned on eating this over several days and didn't want the orzo to absorb all the broth.

I had been CRAVING that Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup that Panera bread only serves in the summer for 2 months and it was not to be found. I found this recipe and it totally nailed the soup!!! I was fantastic and exactly what I was looking for. So delicious, so light, so lemony. I even made some homemade croutons to go on top and shaved a little parmesan on top right before serving. It was a huge hit with the family. The only thing I did differently was I cut up the vegetables smaller cause I don't like big chunks and I cooked the soup in the crock pot. I put in the orzo uncooked and it did not take long for it to get done. I can't say enough good things about this soup!

I reduced the serving size to four servings and added in more veggies and orzo, and half the fresh juiced lemon, all the called for spices but dashed until it reached the flavor I like. I took the advice of another reviewer and used lemon rotisserie chicken...a real time saver. I tossed the spinach in right before serving and just wilted to keep the flavor. This was such a nice light refreshing soup and I actually like it better without the cheese, but the guys loved the cheese. I've never had Panera's soup so can't compare to that, but we all sure enjoyed this and I'll make again. Would be a wonderful soup for someone with a cold.

Why would you cook the chicken first? Add the raw chicken to give the store bought broth more flavor. Make sure the chicken is cooked before serving.

Oh my god this soup is AMAZING! It's so light but still has so much flavor. It's much better if you make your own chicken stock as well. The only thing I added was half a cup of dry white wine when I added the stock. It made for such a deep flavor and I strongly recommend adding it. I will definitely make this again!

I would give this recipe more than 5 stars if I could. It is that good. So fresh, lemony, savory...really excellent. Easy to make and fast for a soup. I agree with others that you should leave the orzo out of the soup, even when storing for leftovers, because the orzo will soak up all the yummy broth.

Made this as the Buzz Recipe Group selection. Since we enjoyed this so much, I would rate it higher than five stars if that were possible. For the chicken, I used the remains of a Roast Sticky Chicken - Rotisserie Style which I baked yesterday. I cooked the orzo in boiling water in the microwave versus boiling on the stove. I also used my own homemade chicken broth. We love all of the spices that were called for in this recipe so they were all included. I sliced the baby spinach into ribbons and sprinkled it, along with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, over the top of each bowl. This soup would be an excellent soup to share with someone that is under the weather. The aromatic scent of lemon in the broth just puts this soup over the top. Thank you RennePaj for sharing your delicious recipe!

Delicious recipe. I reduced to 8 servings. I began by sautéing the vegetables and herbs, then added one bone-in chicken breast which I had chopped into two pieces. I covered and simmered for 20 minutes. I then added two 32oz cartons of chicken broth and brought to a boil. Removed chicken to cool then chopped it into small cubes. I then finished recipe as directed except I substituted kale for the spinach and omitted the Parmesan cheese. Will definitely make this again.

I've been coming to this site for years. Today I registered for the sole purpose of being able to rate this recipe with five stars and say wow. Someone else said this recipe has the perfect amount of everything...I second that. It is flawless. I seared the chicken in olive oil in the dutch oven first. A bit of added flavor from the fond. This is the only thing I did differently from the recipe. What a fabulous and healthy soup. Bet you can't eat just one bowl.

I was looking for a really delicious lemon chicken soup and was so happy to have found this one! I made no changes, other than to add additional orzo and chicken because my family tends to like soup a little "heartier". The flavors meld beautifully. It is light and tasty and everything wonderful that you would like in a soup and it satisfies that mid-winter comfort food craving! Eyes light up when this soup is served and it always gets eaten. I feel good knowing that I am serving my family a nutritious meal. I've never tried the Panera version, but now I'd like to - just to see if it's up to the standard of this version.

I came home feeling yucky and wanting soup. I had everything on hand except to orzo so I subbed ditalini. In half an hour I had a bowl of pure comfort and great taste. Renee, you nailed this one!

Excited to try this recipe! Just had this for the first time at Panera this week! Making today

Made this for Recipe Group...Delicious! I did not use the thyme b/c I didn't have any, and we really don't care for it. Also, I did not measure the lemon juice, but this lemon was pretty big and very juicy, so I just used 1/2, and that was plenty. I was actually able to cook the orzo right in the soup after adding the broth and bringing it to a boil, and that worked out great, and was one less step/pot to mess with. Not only is this soup flavorful, but it is very easy to make. I will def be making this one again~YUM! Thanks for sharing. :)

I read the reviews before I made this and I am glad I did. I didn't cook the orzo separately but added it after I sauteed my veggies and added the broth. I ended up adding more herbs to this because it was bland as written. Once I adjusted the herbs it was really good. I think you just have to play with the seasonings.

Made this recipe last night for dinner. It goes together very quickly for a weeknight meal and tastes great! My wife thinks it's better than the Panera version. The tang of lemon is very warming and, I think, reduces the need for as much salt. Great job, Renee!

This is one of the best soups I've ever made. Fantastic! I was a little worried about how much lemon juice was in it (was concerned it would be sour), but it was delicious, and the combination of parmesan cheese, with the lemon juice is incredible. The only thing I would change is that it was awfully thick, and I ended up adding more chicken broth. Definitely a keeper.

My husband LOVED this. I didn't have any thyme, and neither of us is crazy about cooked celery, so I just added some celery salt and doubled the carrots. I used the juice and zest of one large lemon, and I used home-made chicken stock (didn't have enough, so had to add some home-made veggie stock). I also used more than half of a chicken we had leftover from the night before. Definitely cook (and store leftovers) the orzo separately. That made all the difference ; the first 2 times I made this I cooked the orzo in the soup and it was more like a casserole.

If I could give this 10 stars I would! I halved the recipe (keeping the same amount of carrots and celery), and substituted Italian seasoning for the oregano. I added cubed, uncooked chicken in at the same time as the veggies and simmered for 20 minutes. Like many others, I kept the orzo separate and added to individual serving bowls. I also added the lemon juice to taste. This shot straight to the top of my list of favorite soups. Thank you so much, ReneePaj!

Delicious and elegant recipe - adjusted it to four servings. Followed advice and keep the orzo separate. Thank you ReneeJay

Winner Winner Lemon Chicken Dinner! I made this for the second time today, just as delish the second time around. I get the best results by poaching the chicken breasts. The other reviewer was right about the lemon juice, I would roll it back if you use fresh. I make soup for many friends and neighbors and this is one on the top requests.

Great recipe. Added more lemon and used wild rice instead of orzo.

Yum! I love lemon based soups. And, recipes like this are great for cleaning out the fridge and garden. Even though it's November my pepper garden is producing like crazy. So, I sauteed a bell pepper, spicy fajita bell pepper and a mild banana pepper with the onion. I'm a garlic nut so I used 4 big cloves and minced them rather largely. I had leftover whole wheat macaroni in the fridge which made this recipe even easier. I used the chicken from the Barefoot Contessa's Engagement Roast Chicken that I had made the night before. Along with homemade stock. I didn't have that much stock so I used less lemon juice (I only had 1 big juicy lemon). I also love fresh ground pepper so the soup had a lot of that. This was excellent!

I loved this soup. So pretty in the bowl. It just tastes healthy. It makes a large amount, but that's O.K. I can eat that several days in a row. Used a couple of bouillon cubes to enhance the chicken broth from the cooked chicken. I'll make this again, it is so good. I made exactly as given. I thought the lemon would be too strong, so added only half as much, but then I added the other half. It was great.

Amazing! Did not change a thing. Lovely balance of chicken and lemon in broth - fresh lemon is a must! Family asked for more as well as the recipe. Next time, I will add a bit more chicken and carrots (just my preference). Thanks for sharing!

This is a great soup. I had some orzo that had been in my pantry for way too long, so I used up what I had. I didn't have carrots or celery on hand, so I added fresh mushrooms and some farfalle pasta to make sure I had enough bulk in the soup. If you add any pasta, just make sure that you let the pasta cook in the soup at a high temperature for at least ten minutes. The lemon juice and zest provide the hint of citrus flavor which really elevates this soup recipe.

It was very tasty after I added several scoops of Better than Broth to it. Also there is quite a bit of prep work. The lemon is a good compliment to the other flavors. My husband really liked it and he is not real crazy about soup for dinner.

I prepared this for the recipe group pick...so delicious and easy. I actually followed the recipe to a "t" and it was perfect. This is similiar to a soup served at our favorite Greek restaurant. Hubs loved this and so did I! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

I have finally found my go to chicken noodle soup! I love this recipe. I used a rotisserie chicken and from other suggestions, didn't use as much lemon juice (approx. 1/4c vs. 1/2).

Love this soup! I would make the orzo 'last' or while the broth and veggies are coming to a bowl. So the pasta doesn't over cook. I did add frozen spinach, which worked out great. I also used a cooked rotisserie chicken from the store, which made things much simpler. Enjoy!

I really really really liked this soup. The lemon in it makes it stand above the rest. The only thing I changed was use meat off a rotisserie chicken and used my own chicken broth. I won't half the recipe next time and will again use a rotisserie chicken but boil the bones for my broth. You could put all kinds of veggies int his... like kale, asparagus, or even squash. I will for sure make this again.

Recipe Group Selection: 19, October 2013 ~ Really liked this recipe a lot more than I thought we would. It has a nice balance of ingredients and liked the light lemon flavor in the broth. Rather than cook the chicken breast I purchased a lemon-pepper rotisserie chicken and picked off the meat to equal the 8 ounces. I was pressed for time and this really helped me out. I then used the leftover chicken in another meal. Thanks for sharing Reneepaj - very good recipe.

Frozen spinach worked surprisingly well. Too lemony for me - odd b/c I love lemons. To be fair, I didn't measure, just squoze it in, but thought I was being conservative. Recommend adding lemon by increments, & taste-testing to suit your palate.

This soup was delicious! I used chicken stock instead of broth and added some chicken bouillon granules to boost the flavor. Doubled the chicken and orzo. The extra orzo did soak up alot of the stock, making it much more thick, but my husband likes soup that way. I found the 1/2 cup of lemon to be just right. I included the juice when I added the stock, giving it a chance to cook into the broth.I definitely recommend you give this a try!.

the best soup ever!

This was a good soup, although I've never had Panera's version to compare it to. I followed the recipe as written, but next time I think I will adjust the lemon juice to taste, as mine came out a little more lemony than I would have liked. Thanks for sharing your recipe, ReneePaj!

Delicious! I halved the ingredients and also rapped quinoa for the orzo (1/2 c dried). Will make again.

Fine. May as well make avolemona instead

So delicious! Perfect on a cold, rainy, Seattle night. I added some parsley leaves at the end for garnish and they also lent a little bite to the final product. Scaled it down to 4 and it was a perfect main dish for two. Thanks so much ReneePaj!

great make all the time

I made this for my elderly Greek neighbor. I used chicken stock and the ends of a rotisserie chicken. My taste buds appreciated only 1/4 C. lemon juice. I'll make it again.

I loved this soup! i make chicken something soup a lot! and this one will be making the rounds again and again. i scaled it way down to make for two. two healthy portions with probably a half portion left over (lunch today, YAY!) what i loved most of all about this recipe was the addition of the lemon juice and zest! really makes it POP! Thanks ReneePaj for a great recipe!

Very good soup! I followed the recipe for the soup, except I more than doubled the chicken. We wanted a heartier soup. In the end, after tasting it I decided to add the zest of a second lemon and the juice from that lemon as well. It was very good. My husband and two sons really enjoyed it too. The sprinkle of Parmesan before serving was a must. Without it, the soup was missing a little something.

I'm not a fan of Panera's restaurant, I made this recipe solely on others reviews. My family & myself all thought is was just ok. I used rotisserie chicken (like others) added uncooked orzo to soup, this speed up preparation time. Very nice lemony flavor. I will make it again however, I will add more garlic & adjust herbs to our liking. Make sure you add parmesan over soup.

Absolutely fantastic!! Very easy to make and very tasty! I used about half the lemon it calls for the second time I made it to avoid a heavy lemon taste.

I enjoyed this recipe and I am not a lemon person. It was subtle. I've never had the Panera version, so I can not comment about that. I would make this recipe again. If I were making it for a family, I would probably double the chicken. It was fine for me, as I am not really a big carnivore.

Homemade stock always makes for a better soup but some soups absolutely need it. I think that this is one of them. The thin broth did not stand up to all the lemon. Also, I had forgotten the strange color that lemon can turn spinach so mine did not end up being a pretty soup.

Loved it. Changes I made: I used frozen spinach, because that is what I had and it did not seem to make a difference. Also, I did not add the cheese or lemon slices at the end. Otherwise I pretty much followed the recipe and it was really good.

We love this soup! The full recipe only lasts my husband and I two nights! I usually pan fry some Garlic Naan in butter/ olive oil to go along with it!

Light and fresh. I used small shelled pasta instead of orzo. Turned out great, the lemon compliments the Parmesan cheese.

Interesting flavor, but WAY too lemony for our taste. My kids, all under 10, didn't care for it at all, and they love a wide variety of foods. If I make it again, I'd cut the amount of zest and lemon juice in half, and cross my fingers.

First time I tried lemon juice in chicken soup, and I liked it very much. The parmesan on top was a nice touch.

Will this recipe replace my normal chicken soup recipe? No, but I did appreciate trying this version. I followed the general consensus to reduce the lemon (I used 1/4 c) but will use the full amount next time. I also zested 1/2 a medium-sized lemon and added it too. Preferring thighs in chicken soup, I "crockpotted" 1lb of them and seasoned them with pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. When done, I shredded it and added it along with fresh spinach (torn into smaller pieces) to the soup a few minutes before serving. I boiled the orzo separately so I could add it when making leftovers. I replaced the thyme with marjoram, as I prefer it in chicken soup. This recipe makes a solid, hearty soup which my hubby (who wasn't feeling well) and daughter and I enjoyed.

I will not make chicken soup any other way, ever. Awesome.

This soup tasted just like Panera, but better! I didn't alter the ingredient amounts, but I did use 2 large fresh chicken breasts chopped into small pieces. I sauteed the chicken in the oil until there was no pink and then added the veggies. Oh, I also did not pre-cook the orzo. I just added a little more broth too keep it from getting too thick.

I'm addicted to making soups over the winter months, and am always looking for new ones to add to my rotation. This recipe is a total keeper! I used a rotisserie chicken, and added more carrots..everything else I kept the same. My husband and I loved this soup, and will become a staple in our home.

I made this for the first time tonight. I didn't have any onions do I used a package of onion soup mix. I also used one cup of lemon juice after tasting the soup, but I love the extra lemony flavor. You might not. It makes A LOT of soup so, if you're really cooking for one like me, you may want to cut it in half or freeze some of the extra. But it's reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly good.

This my new "favorite" chicken soup! Have made it several times both with and without the spinach. Both are equally good. Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference!

Followed the recipe to a T and it was great!

Delicious. I added a little bit more chicken and orzo than the recipe called for but this turned out great. Thanks for sharing!

Yummy. Wouldn't change a thing.

I made this for my son when he had the flu and he ate every last drop after telling he was not hungry. LOL I used chicken thighs instead and used some cornstarch to thicken but everything else the same. Delicious recipe!

I made this soup yesterday evening and we just had it for dinner tonight.

Yummy! I made it exactly as the recipe called for, but I accidentally left out the bay leaf. It was still great and I think I like it better than Panera's version.

Doubled the recipe. Used some of my own turkey stock. Refrigerated the leftovers, keeping the pasta separate from the soup. Very tasty. I hadn't had a lemony soup before.

The soup is so fresh. What a great recipe. I am looking forward to enjoying it all week for lunch.

Made the recipe added white wine 1:4 cup and parmigiana cheese ( locatelle) and did Anci de Pepe pasta

i really liked this. i made as written, except used feta cheese instead of grated parm, i thought that would have gone better with the lemon flavor. i actually tried a small amount with the parm, and liked the feta better. i don't know what the Panera version tastes like, but i liked this :-) thanks for the post ReneePaj

I just added a splash of an old white zinfandel we had on hand for cooking to replace some of the liquid that evaporated. My husband loved it and will be eating the leftovers all week. It will probably be very refreshing cold, too.

Delicious!!

I wanted to try something different to serve at a ladies meeting. This recipe got raves galore. The lemon flavor was awesome in this soup. Made it exactly as the recipe was written.

I made this to be my lunches for the week. I kept to the recipe except I used fresh herbs from the garden and skipped the spinach (didn't have any). I was a little iffy about the lemon juice and zest, but decided to go for it. It adds a really nice flavor to the broth. I am looking forward to my lunches this week!

This soup has a nice flavor. I didn’t follow instructions 100%. I cooked chicken breast same time as veggies. I did not cook orzo separate either & through in soup last 10 minutes same time as lemon juice & zest. The spinach was a nice added touch.

I made this for an afternoon tea. It was delicious!

A+ Great topped with green onions.

Absolutely amazing soup!!! The spices were spot on...this is definitely a keeper :)

This was easy to make, tasty, and it disappeared quickly. I will definitely make this soup again.

Easy to make and tasted wonderful. Light and very clean meal. Would make again.

Turned out great!!! cut veggies smaller and only added 1/3 cup of lemon juice

It was EXCELLENT!

I usually add lemon in my chicken soup, but we found this amount of lemon to be a bit overpowering for our taste. My husband won't eat spinach so I simply added other veggies like peas and beans and more carrots that he does eat. I gave the rest of the soup to my neighbors who raved how good it was. Definitely a matter of personal taste.

Easy to make and the family loved it. Highly recommend.

I have made this several times. It is excellent. Even my neighbor asks me to make it now.

I tied this recipe of this delicious soup tonight. It was hit! I added shiitake mushrooms because why not. I loved how easy and quick this was to make. Thank you

OH MY GOSH IS THIS GREAT!

Delicious! Hubby and I loved it, the kids....not so much. One didn't like the spinach and other didn't care for the broth. The broth was wonderful, the kids have no clue what delicious really is! I can't wait to have it again tomorrow, the kids can just eat mac cheese. I

Used part of rotisserie chicken, easy and light and good flavor.

This soup is absolutely delicious any time of the year !! It's very easy to make - use a rotisserie chicken. I love anything lemon !!

Easy to make and delicious flavor - it was a hit in our household.

Fantastic!

This is a wonderful recipe! I have made it for my father-in-law many times because he said it reminds him of the soup his mother used to make “from the old country” (she was from a village in Macedonia). ??

I didn't make any changes. We loved it and will definitely make it again.

I never write reviews, but this recipe absolutely deserves it. It was fantastic!!! Maybe the best soup I have ever made. I cut the recipe by half, and will never do that again...everyone wanted more. Thank you so much for my (now)go-to chicken soup recipe!

After having this soup at panera I had to make some. This recipe was perfect. I made it for 8 servings. I cut it down to one larger carrot and no celery. Also I forgot the lemon zest but I used lemon pepper rotisserie chicken so I think it ended up still tasting very lemony. I'm glad I read the comments about keeping the orzo on the side.

It was SO Delicious!!!! Made as written except I halved the recipe for hubby and me and used zest of half a lemon and used two tablespoons of lemon juice. The seasonings were perfect. Served it with a kale chopped salad. I separated the broth from the solids for storing the leftover soup to avoid the orzo soaking up the broth that other cooks wrote about. I’ll definitely make it again. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.

Easy and delicious. I substituted barley for rice because I had it on hand.

Very good made exactly as stated but added orzo on the side so it wouldn't get mushy!

I've made this soup several times. I love it! It's fresh and light and just so yummy. I actually add more lemon because I love the lemony taste. I serve it with crusty bread.

Needs more salt, but we love this recipe! It's even a hit with our 2 and 3 year old toddlers!