Lemon Chicken Orzo Spinach (Printable)

Comforting chicken and orzo simmered with fresh spinach and lemon for a bright, nourishing bowl.

# Components:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 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, which means you can go from craving soup to eating it before most cooking shows end their first act.
  • The lemon doesn't announce itself aggressively—it whispers through every spoonful and somehow makes the chicken taste more like itself.
  • Spinach wilts in at the last moment, so you get that fresh, vibrant taste without any bitter edge creeping in.
02 -
  • Don't skip removing the bay leaf before serving—biting into one feels like finding something broken in something beautiful, and it tastes dusty and wrong.
  • The orzo releases starch as it cooks, which is what makes the broth silky without any cream—this is actually a feature, not a flaw, but it only works if you stir it occasionally.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it, because the zest carries more fragrant oils than juice alone, and those oils are where the real lemon magic lives.
  • Taste the broth before adding lemon—this teaches you what needs brightening and prevents you from overshooting the tartness.
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