Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This Greek lemon chicken soup recipe is sure to impress! It's hearty, bright, delicious, and incredibly flavorful – creamy yet not excessive or overly rich. Similar to traditional Greek avgolemono soup, this version omits the egg, making it MUCH simpler to prepare. Yay to simplicity!

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You'll Love This Greek Lemon Soup with Orzo

Eggless Avgolemono Soup. While Greek lemon chicken soup closely resembles Avgolemono, it omits the eggs entirely. Instead of eggs, the soup's base combines chicken stock and lemon juice. The traditional method requires tempering the soup with eggs, which can be quite tedious, which is why I chose to create this version without them. You won't notice any difference at all!

Quick! When compared to the traditional Greek version of Avgolemono soup, this recipe is much faster to make. Enjoy a bowl of this delicious, tangy, indulgent soup in less than 40 minutes from start to finish!

Healthy. This high protein recipe is adaptable to suit your dietary needs. Make it keto by substituting orzo with cauliflower rice and opting for full-fat dairy and chicken thighs. Use xanthan gum as a thickener. For a lower-fat option, try fat-free half and half, chicken breast, and low-fat broth. Spinach adds veggies, and feel free to add more!

Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Ingredients

Here is an overview of the ingredients you will need to make this lemon chicken soup Greek recipe:

• Olive Oil - use any preferred oil option.
• Onion - use yellow or white onions.
• Celery Stalks
• Chicken Broth - you can get the fat-free or reduced-sodium broth.
• Fresh Lemon Juice - fresh squeezed lemon juice has the best flavor!
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - you can use shredded chicken by adding whole chicken breasts, then simmering until they are very tender and then shredding.
• Dried Thyme - feel free to use fresh thyme in place of the dried.
• Dried Oregano - fresh can be used instead of dried.
• Bay Leaves - these are used during the cooking process but removed at the end before enjoying.
• Orzo - this looks like long-grain rice but is actually a type of pasta! Very commonly used in Italian dishes and more common in soups. It's delicious!
• Spinach - fresh spinach adds some color and fresh vegetables.
• White Wine - any kind of dry cooking wine of your choice.
• Half and Half - you can use any brand or fat content that you like.
• Cornstarch or Xanthan Gum - used as a thickening agent with the half and half in the soup to give it a rich, decadent end result.

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Substitutions and Variations

• Feel free to substitute the chicken thighs with either chicken breasts, boneless thighs, or even rotisserie chicken. Add any cooked chicken after the pasta is cooked. Let the soup simmer until the chicken is warmed through.
• Use more vegetables such as carrots and zucchini.
• Substitute kale for the spinach.
• Make it keto by substituting the orzo with cauliflower rice.
• Adjust any of the seasonings to your liking.
• To make it even healthier, use fat-free half-and-half and low-sodium chicken broth options. If preferred, use chicken stock in place of the broth.

How To Make Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Here is a brief overview for making this soup recipe. The recipe card at the bottom contains full details. Enjoy!

1. Saute the onion and celery until soft and golden.
2. Add broth, chicken breast, lemon juice, wine, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves.
3. Cover and simmer to blend flavor.
4. Add pasta and spinach and continue to cook until pasta is tender.
5. Make the thickener and add to soup. Simmer until the desired thickness is reached.
6. Remove bay leaves and serve.

How To Serve Lemon Greek Chicken Soup

• Garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme, chives, or parsley. It adds color and a bright flavor!
• Top your bowl with some crumbled feta cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, or fresh mozzarella cheese.
• Meal idea! Serve this delicious Greek Lemon Soup with this super popular Greek Salad! Breadsticks or some great fresh bread go perfectly with this soup as well!