Lemon Chicken Orzo Spinach (Printable)

Tender chicken, orzo pasta, fresh spinach, and bright lemon combine for a warming dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (14 oz), diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Pantry

07 - 1 cup orzo pasta
08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Flavorings

10 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh dill or parsley, chopped (optional)
15 - Lemon wedges (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned but not fully cooked through.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, add bay leaf and dried oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
05 - Stir in orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender and chicken is cooked through.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley and extra lemon wedges if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes, making weeknight dinners feel effortless.
  • The lemon juice is added at the end, so every bowl tastes bright and alive rather than flat.
  • Spinach wilts in at the last second, keeping its color and nutrition intact.
  • You can swap in rotisserie chicken if you're short on time and it tastes just as good.
02 -
  • Add the lemon juice at the very end, not at the beginning—cooking lemon juice makes it taste bitter and defeats the whole purpose of this soup's brightness.
  • Taste the broth before you serve it because saltiness varies wildly between different store-bought broths, and you need to adjust accordingly.
  • Don't skip zesting the lemon even if you're only using the juice; the zest carries oils that juice alone cannot give you.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before juicing it—once you cut the lemon in half, getting zest becomes awkward and frustrating.
  • Keep the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil so the broth stays clear and the chicken stays tender instead of tough.
  • Fresh herbs at the end make an enormous difference in how alive the soup tastes, so don't treat them as optional if you can help it.
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