A Healthy, Hearty, Dairy-Free Chicken & Orzo Soup
My kitchen has seen its fair share of homemade soups. But few are as frequently requested as this One-Pot Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup! This is the kind of recipe that will have you going back for seconds and still licking the bottom of the bowl to savor every drop!
Think of this One-Pot Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup as a fresh, more vibrant, and elevated version of the classic chicken noodle soup. With tender chicken, fresh veggies, gluten-free orzo, and a creamy (yet dairy-free) lemony broth, this soup warms you from the inside out! You can certainly pair it with a sandwich. However, this soup is hearty enough to serve as a full meal on its own. The best part? It’s all prepared in just one pot, which minimizes cleanup! Save this recipe for the next time you want to cozy up with a delicious bowl of (healthy) soup!
To shop the kitchen essentials used in this recipe, scroll to the ‘Shop the Post’ section at the bottom of this blog! Make sure to read the “Tiffy’s Tips” section of the recipe card for a few important notes! There’s more where this came from… subscribe to my newsletter for more!
The Secret to a Creamy Broth (without the cream)
I discuss this on the recipe card below, but it’s worth noting here as well! The lemony and creamy (yet dairy-free) broth is made using a technique called tempering eggs. This method warms the egg mixture slowly without scrambling the eggs. Follow these steps for a creamy dairy-free broth (or watch this video):
1. Whisk eggs and lemon juice together in one bowl.
2. Slowly whisk ¼ cup of the hot liquid of the soup mixture to your egg mixture.
3. Slowly add the warmed egg mixture back to the soup, stirring continuously.
One-Pot Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup peeled and diced carrots, approximately 3 carrots
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 8-10 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ tsp. dried basil
- ¼ tsp. dried parsley
- ¼ tsp. dried thyme
- 1 cup whole wheat orzo I use gluten-free
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- Garnish with grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrots and onion. Sauté until tender, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add garlic in the last minute of cooking time to prevent burning.
- Whisk eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl. Temper the mixture by slowly whisking ¼ cup of the hot liquid of the soup mixture to the egg mixture. Slowly add the warmed egg mixture back to the soup. This method warms the egg mixture slowly without scrambling the eggs. Slowly continue to stir the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Add spinach and season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese.
Notes
- I prepared in my Dutch Oven, however you could easily use a crockpot! Add the orzo in the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Eggs are key to achieving a creamy consistency without using actual cream. Tempering is essential to prevent scrambling.
- Tempering eggs involves gradually adding hot liquid to beaten eggs while whisking. This allows the eggs to warm up slowly, avoiding curdling when added to a larger amount of hot liquid. Check out this video for detailed instructions!
- For this recipe I used shredded rotisserie chicken. One chicken yields approximately 3 cups when deboned.
- I used gluten-free orzo but whole wheat works perfectly.
- Top with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
- Feel free to adjust herbs and spices in this recipe to your preference.
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