Name: Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion (chopped); 2 large carrots (chopped); 2 stalks celery (chopped); 1 tsp salt (or to taste); 1 tsp pepper (or to taste); 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium or no sodium added); 1 lemon (washed and cut in half); 1 lb chicken breasts; ¾ cup orzo; ½ cup frozen peas; ¼ cup fresh dill (chopped); 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped); 1 lemon (cut in wedges, for serving)

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – This recipe, made with bright lemon and fresh herbs, packs nutrition from lots of vegetables and tender shredded chicken. Made with orzo, it’s a filling and satisfying meal. Fire up your Instant Pot for this simple recipe.

side shots of two white bowls filled with lemon chicken orzo soup and garnished with lemon slices

As you all know, I’m obsessed with my Instant Pot. It’s become such a game changer in my house for anything soup, stew, or meat related. If you have a different brand of pressure cooker, fear not! This recipe will work for you too.

I love that I can just set it for a few minutes and be rewarded with perfectly shreddable chicken and a deeply flavored soup. Can you really ask for anything more? It’s a dump-and-go recipe that tastes so amazing you’d be proud to serve it to your in-laws.

What is orzo?

Some may think orzo is a grain of sorts, but it’s actually pasta. Shaped like a large grain of rice, it’s the perfect addition for soups. You may have even seen it in Italian wedding soup before!

If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, and there isn’t an Italian market near you, there are other options. Farfalle, little stars, shells, and orecchiette would all be great substitutions.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

Olive oil – Sunflower, safflower, vegetable, canola, or avocado oils will work instead.
Onion – Mild flavored onion such as white or yellow work best.
Carrots & celery –You can add more or less as you prefer.
Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
Chicken broth – You can also use veggie broth. I also added 4 cups of water, but add more or less depending on how thick you like your soup.
Lemon – Make sure to give it a good wash because we’re adding the lemon halves to the soup.
Chicken breasts – Boneless and skinless. You can use chicken breast bone-in and skin-on just remove the skin and bones when shredding.
Orzo – Check out the section above for substitutes.
Peas – I used frozen, but fresh or canned will work too.
Dill & parsley – Fresh is best!

process shots showing how to make lemon chicken orzo soup

How to make instant pot lemon chicken orzo soup

Cook the veggies: Turn on your Instant Pot’s sauté setting and heat up the oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the veggie soften. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the chicken: Pour in the chicken broth, then add the halved lemon, chicken breasts, and 4 cups of water. Close the lid, and cook for 7 minutes on the soup setting.
Shred the chicken: Let the IP release pressure naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release. Remove the lid once the pressure has fully released. Take the chicken breasts out of the pot and shred them with two forks. Discard the lemon halves.
Finish the soup: Turn the pot back onto the sauté setting and add the orzo. Cook, uncovered, for about 6 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Turn off the IP, then add the peas, dill, shredded chicken and taste for seasoning. Serve garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

overhead shot of lemon chicken orzo soup in an instant pot with a ladle lifting some soup

How to serve lemon chicken orzo soup

This soup is fantastic and loaded with good-for-you and filling ingredients. It’s wonderful served all on its own! If you’d like to add a little more substance to the dinner table try it with:

Fresh bread:

Or salad:

How to store leftovers

Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, use either your microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat.

The orzo will likely absorb a lot of the liquid as the soup cools down. You can add a few splashes of chicken broth to heat it back up if you’d like a soupier consistency. If you’re planning on having lots of leftovers, cook the orzo separately from the soup and add it as you enjoy servings.

Freezing

If you’d like to do some meal planning and make this recipe ahead, this is a great opportunity to do so! It’ll last 4-6 months frozen. To make reheating easier, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before you plan on reheating.

I also suggest leaving the orzo out if you plan on freezing the soup to save the texture of the pasta. Cook it in the soup as you reheat right before serving.