Pesto Chicken Orzo Soup

Name: Pesto Chicken Orzo Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 cups chicken stock, turkey stock, or vegetable stock; 2 cups cooked chicken (chopped or shredded chicken are both good); 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta; 1/4 cup fresh basil pesto; 2 Tablespoons lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste; shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

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This orzo soup with pesto and chicken is hearty, comforting, and super easy to make! It’s perfect for busy weeknights and ready in just 30 minutes.

Chicken orzo soup in a white bowl, topped with a scoop of pesto.

When cold weather hits, there's nothing better than a big bowl of warm, hearty soup.

And this lemony chicken noodle soup might just be our favorite dinner shortcut: All you need are five main ingredients and a quick simmer on the stovetop. You'd never guess it takes just 30 minutes to throw together!

We're putting a twist on traditional chicken noodle soup by adding a bright punch of flavor with a scoop of pesto and a splash of lemon juice.

Chicken soup ingredients, measured out and placed into individual small bowls.

How to make this chicken orzo soup

This chicken orzo soup recipe comes together in one pot with just a few ingredients.

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large pot.
Add some cooked shredded chicken, orzo, pesto, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer it all until the orzo is al dente, then serve!

We love using a store-bought rotisserie chicken or some meal prepped shredded chicken in this recipe to keep things quick and simple.

If you don't have cooked chicken on hand

No pre-cooked chicken? No problem!

You can cook two chicken breasts (or 4-6 chicken thighs) in the stock once it's simmering, then shred or dice them up and proceed with the rest of the recipe. You can also bake or grill your chicken before adding it to the soup if you don't want to bother boiling it.

Wooden spoon stirring pesto and black pepper into the soup.

Additions and Substitutions

This soup is super forgiving. Some of our favorite riffs:

Use any pasta you like. We love orzo pasta in this soup since it cooks quickly. But it's good with any shape! Swap in farfalle (bowties), shells, macaroni, cavatelli, or tortellini!
Add extra veggies. This is a great blank canvas soup - add whatever you have on hand! We like adding diced carrots or celery, chick peas or butter beans, tomatoes, peas, red peppers, broccoli, or corn. Stir in some kale or spinach for extra greens, or add a handful of herbs (basil, dill, rosemary, and thyme are all good) for more flavor.
Mix up the protein. Use leftover turkey instead of chicken (perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers!) or add some spicy Italian sausage.
Add some aromatics. For even more flavor, sauté some chopped onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil before you add the chicken stock.
To make this soup creamy, reduce the chicken stock by 1 cup and make soup normally. When the orzo is not quite done, add 1 cup of heavy cream and simmer until the soup thickens slightly.

Wooden spoon stirring soup in a large blue pot.

What to serve with this soup

Our favorite thing about soup? It goes with everything. Some of our favorite sides to serve with this chicken pesto soup:

Two bowls of chicken soup, each with a silver spoon sticking out, next to a plate of toasted bread.

A few FAQs

Can I freeze this soup?

We don't recommend freezing this soup as it can mess with the texture of the orzo (it gets super mushy!)

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

Yes! Add your chicken stock, chicken (raw or cooked), salt and pepper to a slow cooker and cook for 2-6 hours on low (if using raw chicken, be sure to cook until chicken is cooked through). Add pesto, lemon juice, and orzo in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Can I make this soup vegan or vegetarian?

Yes! Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, omit the chicken, and make sure you're using a vegan or vegetarian pesto. If you're making a vegan version of this soup, we recommend adding some extra veggies to make it a little heartier!

You might also like:

Chicken soup in a white bowl with a silver spoon, next to a plate of toasted bread.

Love this recipe? Try our spinach orzo alfredo →

📖 Recipe

Pesto Chicken Orzo Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Category: Soup
Cuisine: American

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Description

This orzo soup with pesto and chicken is hearty, comforting, and super easy to make!

Ingredients

Scale

6 cups chicken stock, turkey stock, or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked chicken (chopped or shredded chicken are both good)
1 ½ cups uncooked orzo pasta
¼ cup fresh basil pesto
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

Add chicken stock to a large pot. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Add cooked chicken, orzo, pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Cook, uncovered, until orzo is al dente (about 8 minutes).
Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese (optional) and serve immediately.

Notes

Additions & Substitutions. Use any pasta shape you like (ditalini, cavatelli, elbows, and shells all work well here). Add extra veggies (carrots, celery, kale, spinach, chick peas, butter beans) to make this soup a bit heartier. Swap turkey or Italian sausage for the chicken if you like. For a creamier soup, reduce the chicken stock by 1 cup and add a cup of heavy cream just before the orzo is done cooking.

What kind of chicken should I use? We like using a rotisserie chicken or some meal prepped shredded chicken to keep things easy. Leftover grilled or baked chicken or leftover turkey also work well. If you don't have any cooked chicken ready to go, bring the chicken stock to a boil and cook chicken breasts or thighs in the stock until cooked through, then shred and complete the soup as directed.

Serve this soup with our Easy Crusty Bread or a lemon arugula side salad for a complete meal.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 470
Sugar: 7 g
Sodium: 701.2 mg
Fat: 17.8 g
Carbohydrates: 39.5 g
Protein: 35.4 g
Cholesterol: 69.6 mg

Keywords: winter, stew, soup

Pesto Chicken Orzo Soup