Gluten Free Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – This savory Panera copycat recipe is one of our cool-weather favorites. The perfect light comfort food!
My brain has been in fall mode for ages–I’m so glad the seasons will be catching up soon! My kids started school in July, and no matter the weather, the start of school always signals fall feelings for me.
I bust out You’ve Got Mail, I spread fall colors around the inside of our house, and I always make soup.
This lemon chicken orzo soup is one of my favorites. It’s like classic chicken soup but with a bright lemon twist and an extra dose of greens. It’s cozy, comforting, and easy as can be.
Whether someone’s down with a cold, or we’re just craving a bit of cozy comfort, this soup always does the trick! I love the mix of veggies and how easy it is to add more greens or to swap out the herbs for another kind.
This soup works beautifully with basil, but dill or rosemary are also really lovely. Use what you have or what you like!
I know that summer is just around the corner, but when someone in your house catches the inevitable summer cold (am I the only one who gets those?) or you have a cloudy (or, in our case, monsoon-y) day, this can really hit the spot.
Notes on the Recipe
Change it Up! I love that this soup works with other herbs and veggies. Try swapping the basil for 1-2 Tbsp fresh dill or rosemary. Add an extra handful of greens, or a bit of bell pepper. It’s easy to play with this one.
Gluten free? No problem! I use gluten free orzo (I pick it up at Sprouts, or you can order from Amazon). If you’re in a pinch, you can also use rice, but I’ve found it absorbs a bit more liquid, so you may need to add a little more to the soup as it cooks.
Need a Soup Pot? I think every household should have a sturdy pot like this for roasting, braising, and making soups. This pot is my best friend during the cooler months and is so much more affordable than some of the other brands. We’ve used ours a LOT and it’s still in great shape. (Plus, it comes in other cute colors like yellow and pink!)
If you like this, I bet you’d love…
- Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Soup
- Chicken and Vegetable Risotto
- Cilantro Shrimp and Avocado Salad (with orzo!)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2-3 clove garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 6c chicken broth
- 2c water
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1-2c cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
- 1c orzo, uncooked
- 2c fresh spinach, torn or minced
- 2-4Tbsp fresh basil, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until translucent and tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add chicken broth, water, and lemon juice.
- Add chicken and orzo.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until orzo is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in spinach and basil.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mmm this looks so good! I LOVE soup and this seems like the perfect summer one! And you’re not the only one who gets summer colds… I just finished with a really bad one!
Looks good, will definitely store this recipe in my monsoon-y or catch a summer cold area. And no you’re not the only one that gets colds in the summer, I do every year.
My summer cold recently turned into a raging sinus infection…you are not alone 🙂 And this soup looks super yummy!
This looks delicious! It is going on the menu for next week! Thanks!
I love orzo, but I’ve never made it in a soup. thanks for sharing this recipe! 🙂
making it now! smells so yum! so glad i found your site! thanks putting all these family friendly recipes together!!!
Mmmm…looks so good! And perfect for fall. I’ve never had lemon chicken soup, but it sounds lovely!
It really is! I can’t get enough!