Slow-Simmered Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
Tender chicken and orzo pasta in a bright lemon-infused broth, enriched with fresh herbs and silky egg-lemon sauce. This Greek recipe, ready in about 70 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, water, carrot for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 (about 1.5 lbs) bone-in chicken thighs
- 8 cups water
- 1 large, peeled and diced carrot
- 2, diced celery stalks
- 1 medium, chopped yellow onion
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (about 2 lemons) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a large pot, combine 8 cups water and 4 bone-in chicken thighs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam.
- Step 2: Remove chicken thighs and set aside to cool. Add 2 diced celery stalks, 1 large peeled and diced carrot, and 1 chopped yellow onion to the pot. Simmer vegetables for 15 minutes until tender.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from the cooled chicken and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Step 4: Add 3/4 cup orzo pasta and shredded chicken to the broth. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until orzo is tender.
- Step 5: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice until smooth.
- Step 6: Slowly ladle about 1 cup hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Step 7: Stir tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the soup pot and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently until the soup thickens slightly but does not boil.
- Step 8: Season soup with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, then stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Serve warm.









