Chicken Orzo Soup
Italian Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe – Fresh and zesty soup loaded with herbs, chicken, and veggies. This simple soup recipe is healthy and delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
I can make any variety of chicken soup and my family will ooooh and ahhhh when they come to the table. Sometimes I make asian-style chicken soups. Sometimes I make creamy chicken soups with potatoes.
However, my favorite versions are those that are just a slight variation from classic chicken noodle soup. Brothy soups that offer veggies, herbs, pasta, and of course tender chicken mingled throughout.
Last year I shared my Greek Lemon Chicken Soup recipe with you fitting this category. It’s bright and tangy with lemon zest and feta cheese.
However, I love today’s Italian Chicken Soup with Orzo just as much, and I think you will too!
Ultra cozy Chicken Orzo Soup offers the appeal of classic chicken noodle… Chicken, pasta, onions, celery, and carrots.
However, it has a bolder herbaceous flavor from the generous addition of garlic, dried Italian Herb Seasoning, and fresh basil leaves.
I also prefer the small orzo pasta that fits neatly in a spoon, instead of long noodles that have to be swirled again and again in order to safely make the trip to your mouth.
Ingredients For Orzo Soup
- Butter
- Large Sweet Onion – peeled and chopped
- Minced Garlic Cloves
- Sliced Carrots
- Sliced Celery
- Dried Italian Seasoning
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Chicken Broth – or water + chicken base
- Dried Orzo Pasta – could use whole grain or gluten-free pasta
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
Italian Chicken Soup is so comforting and delicious, it’s a meal we could eat every week. Maybe every day.
I love making a large pot of soup knowing I’ll have leftovers the next day. It’s a great lunch to take in a thermos now that the weather is cooling off.
How To Make Chicken Orzo Soup
Our Chicken Soup is made with fresh healthy ingredients. You can easily substitute whole grain or even gluten-free pasta to suit your diet.
You are going to love this!
- Saute. Place the butter, onions, and garlic in a large sauce pot, and set over medium heat. Saute the onions for 3 minutes to soften. Then stir in the carrots, celery, Italian Seasoning, and salt. Saute another 3-5 minutes.
- Cook the Chicken. Add whole chicken breasts to the pot and pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Cook the Orzo in the Soup. Remove the chicken from the pot and set on a cutting board. Add the orzo to the soup and stir well so it doesn’t stick.
- Chop the Chicken. Chop or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, then return to the pot.
- Taste. When ready to serve, taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve warm!
Get the Full (Printable) Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t over cook the orzo! The orzo is going to soak up a lot of the liquid and can become mushy if you cook it too long. If the orzo soaks up too much of the broth, add a little bit more!
- Serve your chicken orzo soup with some crusty garlic bread or homemade bread sticks for a more filling meal!
- Make a gluten-free chicken orzo soup with gluten-free orzo or other small pasta!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Spices/Herbs Could I Use In Place Of The Italian Seasoning?
Italian seasoning usually contains oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary. Some have a few extra herbs, but this is a good base. Use any of these you like, and omit the flavors you don’t.
Can I Use Leftover Chicken And Dried Basil?
Sure, you can! Just make sure to place it in the pot towards the end of cooking the soup as to not overcook the chicken, but just warm it up! Anytime you can use up leftovers, go for it! Personally, I like fresh herbs best, but in a pinch, always substitute 1/3 the number of dried herbs for fresh.
How Long Does Leftover Orzo Soup Last?
Leftovers of this soup can last in an airtight container, in the fridge, for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before rewarming.
Looking for More Great Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
- The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup with Spinach Recipe
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
- Low Carb Chicken Mushroom Soup Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Low Carb Green Curry Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Italian Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 2 cups sliced celery
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian Seasoning
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dried orzo pasta (could use whole grain or gluten-free pasta)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the butter, onions, and garlic in a large sauce pot, and set over medium heat. Saute the onions for 3 minutes to soften. Then stir in the carrots, celery, Italian Seasoning, and 1 teaspoon salt. Saute another 3-5 minutes.
- Add whole chicken breasts to the pot. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set on a cutting board. Add the orzo to the soup and stir well so it doesn’t stick. Chop or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, then return to the pot.
- When ready to serve, taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve warm!
Made this soup last night with bone-in dark chicken meat cooked first on the pan. Everything was added to that pan, using the grease available from the chicken vs using butter. I did remove the skin after cooking the chicken and shredded it. Was very good. Will definitely make again.
I don’t eat chicken, but I think some fake stuff will substitute just fine. I had a comment on flavors for soups. I do each vegetable separately, and brown them with butter and EVOO in the stock pot. I don’t bother cooking them, I just want some caramelization. As an alternative, I often use planned overs when I roast veggies in the oven as soup later in the week. Add in a cup or so of your favorite wine with the stock. Once the liquids get in the pot, I make sure to scrape up all the good stuff on the bottom. Herbs: if you add them at the beginning, all the oils (flavor) will evaporate. So put them in towards the end, dried or fresh. And please use real parmesan, not the powdered stuff to top soup in the bowl.
Hello
Would vegetable broth work vs chicken?
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
Yes, you can use vegetable broth in this recipe. Happy cooking!
This recipe does make a nice soup but it lacked the flavor which the website name suggests. Maybe if I could have found fresh basil but fresh herbs are seriously lacking in my local grocery stores.
I’ll be making it again. Loved the orzo instead of rice.
Doesn’t sound like it will have much taste but it does. Easy and delicious. I added a can of diced tomatoes to the soup. Definitely a keeper.
LOVE this recipe!!!!!! I don’t add the orzo, I cook it separately. I freeze leftover soup in zip lock bags.
absolutely delicious! We slurped up every last drop and fought over the left overs. Making this easy and delicious soup again and again and again and again! Thanks so much for sharing!
The flavours of the Italian seasoning, basil shone through in the soup. Also the fresh parmigiana added directly to the bowl was a stand out flavour. I would not add the parm directly to the soup on the stove as it will get lost on the bottom of the pot. I made my own stock which is much better than the store bought kind. A good stock always makes a better soup.
The recipe was intriguing and used many ingredients I had on hand. I would love for you to modify the recipe to state the pounds of chicken breast needed. Two whole chicken breasts can vary in size significantly. I knew that one could not just stir in the orzo and then serve. I cooked the soup for 20 minutes after adding the orzo. Finally, I would not and did not use 12 cups of broth. Rather, I used approximately 7. Thank you for the idea of combining these ingredients and wishing you the best.
It’s snowing like crazy here and this looks like the perfect way to warm us up!!
Total comfort food. So good.