If you're looking for a cozy and filling soup to warm you up this winter, look no further! This Gluten-Free Lemon Orzo Soup is just what you need.
Jump to RecipeCozy & Delicious
Is there anything better than a hearty bowl of soup on a cold day? Soup has the ability to make any day better, wrapping you in warmth and comfort with every spoonful. Whether it's a pick-me-up on a rainy day or food for the soul, soup is the cure.
This Gluten-Free Lemon Orzo soup is the perfect one-pot recipe that the whole family will love! With shredded rotisserie chicken, soft carrots, and flavorful orzo, this soup has it all, balancing protein, veggies, and delightful textures in each bowl. The bright lemon adds a refreshing zing that elevates the dish, making it light yet satisfying. This recipe only takes 45 minutes to make and yields six servings of rich soup, making it an excellent choice for a busy weeknight or a cozy family gathering.
The Orzo
If you're gluten-free (like me), you understand the struggles of finding a wide variety of gluten-free pasta. While most grocery stores offer a wide selection of boxed pasta, finding speciality pasta can be a little more difficult. For example, the orzo used in this soup wasn't the easiest to find.
Luckily, Amazon has it all! This gluten-free orzo from Delallo is a wheat-free alternative to orzo pasta. Not only does it hold well (no mushy pasta here!) but you can hardly tell it's gluten-free! This orzo is by far the best gluten-free alternative I've found and I would highly recommend trying it.
The Base
A good soup is all about the base. Like the majority of soup recipes, the base of our Lemon Orzo Soup is made up of onions, carrots, and celery. This mixture is called a "mirepoix", and is a flavor base used for most soup or stew recipes. This French term simply refers to cooking a mixture of diced onions, carrots and celery with butter over low heat for an extended amount of time. The correct way to cook a mirepoix is not by sautéing, but by caramelizing the vegetables. This cooking technique is signature to the French cuisine.
But back to our soup. For our base, we're going to start by adding two tablespoons of unsalted butter to a large pot or Dutch oven. Once the butter has melted, add half a diced yellow onion, four cups of chopped carrots, and two cups of diced celery. Then, season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and occasionally stir this mixture to prevent burning for roughly ten minutes.
The Next Steps
After ten minutes, add three cloves of minced garlic and almost a cup of a dry white wine. The wine will help caramelize the vegetables and give the soup a richer flavor. Stir until almost all of the wine has been absorbed, then turn the heat up to medium-high. Next, add the juice from one lemon and six cups of chicken broth. Add in four sprigs of rosemary and six sprigs of thyme before pouring one cup of gluten-free pasta into the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium and stir occasionally for roughly 20 minutes. Once the orzo doubles in size and looks fluffy, add in two cups of cooked and shredded chicken breasts. While you can cook your own, you can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time. Stir in the chicken, then reduce the heat to low and cover for 10 minutes. This will allow the chicken to absorb the flavors of the soup.
Finally, remove the soup from the heat. Garnish with sliced lemons and fresh parsley.
Tastes Like...
This soup may taste familiar, even if you've never had it. That may be because it reminds you of a mixture of chicken noodle soup and Greek avgolemono soup. Avgolemono soup, or egg-lemon soup, is made with egg yolk and lemon juice mixed with broth, heated until they thicken, creating a rich and velvety texture. While our Lemon Orzo Soup has familiar ingredients, avgolemono soup is much different due to the thickness and broth made from a mixture of egg yolk, which gives it a unique creaminess.
Our version incorporates orzo pasta, vibrant lemon juice, and fresh herbs, providing a light yet satisfying meal. The bright flavors make it an ideal choice for any season, whether you're seeking comfort in the winter or something refreshing in the summer. This soup is perfect for serving on chilly evenings or as a delightful starter for a dinner party. With its comforting taste and easy preparation, it’s sure to become a staple in your kitchen!
Gluten-Free Lemon Orzo Soup
Course: RecipesDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes45
minutesIf you're looking for a cozy and filling soup to warm you up this winter, look no further! This Gluten-Free Lemon Orzo Soup is just what you need.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
½ yellow onion, diced
2 cups of celery, diced
4 cups of carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
Juice from one lemon
6 cups of chicken broth
6 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup of gluten-free orzo pasta
2 cups of chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Parsley for garnish
Directions
- Add the butter to a large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium heat
- Once melted, add the onion, celery, and carrot
- Season with salt and pepper
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally to soften for 10 minutes
- Add the minced garlic and white wine, stirring until the liquid is absorbed
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the lemon juice, chicken broth, thyme, and rosemary
- Once boiling, add the gluten-free orzo pasta and reduce to medium-low, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes until the orzo doubles in size
- Then, add the chicken
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes
- Finally, remove from heat and garnish with freshly chopped parsley
Notes
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days
[…] If you're looking for a cozy and filling soup to warm you up this winter, look no further! My Lemon Orzo Soup with Chicken is just what you need on a cold day. Both of these recipes use the DeLallo Gluten-Free Orzo to […]