From the roundup: 22 Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners
Around 4:00, when I know the after-school chaos is twenty minutes out, I get the Instant Pot going with Instant Pot lemon chicken orzo soup because the pressure cook cycle buys me enough time to wrangle backpacks and permission slips before I have to touch the stove again. The one thing I learned after the first batch: stir the lemon juice and zest in after you hit cancel, not while the broth is still at a rolling boil, or the whole pot turns sharp in a way that makes it taste flat instead of bright. The orzo finishes on saute mode right in the pot, which means one less colander to wash, which matters when seven people are circling the kitchen. Leftovers reheat beautifully the next day with just a splash of broth to loosen it up, since the orzo keeps absorbing liquid overnight.
Why you will love this
- One pot from start to finish: saute, pressure cook, and finish the orzo all in the Instant Pot without a separate pan.
- The lemon flavor is genuinely bright, not just a hint, because you add it off heat at the very end.
- Boneless chicken breasts shred quickly after 12 minutes at high pressure and stay tender, not dry.
- Orzo gives it a lighter feel than egg noodles, and it cooks in the broth so it soaks up all the seasoning.
- Leftovers thicken up overnight, so a splash of broth when reheating turns it back into soup instead of a pasta dish.
Tips for success
- Stir the orzo every couple of minutes during the saute step. It will stick to the bottom of the pot if you walk away, and scraping scorched orzo out of an Instant Pot is not a fun end to dinner.
- Add the lemon juice and zest only after you press Cancel. Even a minute of boiling after adding them dulls the flavor noticeably.
- Quick release is correct here. Natural release will keep cooking the chicken and you risk dry, stringy shreds instead of tender ones.
- Taste for salt after the lemon goes in, not before. The acid changes how salty the broth reads, and you will almost always want a little more at that final step.
If the soup thickens too much
- Orzo keeps absorbing broth as it sits, so leftovers will look more like a thick pasta than a soup by the next day.
- Add 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken broth when reheating and stir over medium heat until it loosens back up.
- If you are making this ahead for a crowd, you can cook the broth and chicken base up to two days early and cook the orzo fresh right before serving so it stays at the right texture.
- A squeeze of extra lemon when reheating also wakes the flavors back up after a day in the fridge.
Substitutions
Boneless skinless chicken thighs work in place of breasts at the same pressure cook time and give a slightly richer broth. For the pasta, ditalini or small elbow macaroni are good swaps for orzo; cook them the same way on saute mode and check for doneness around the 8-minute mark. If you only have dried parsley, use about a teaspoon, though fresh is worth it here.
Fresh dill, roughly 2 tablespoons chopped, can replace the dried dill if you have it on hand. Bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch, but the zest is where most of the bright lemon flavor actually comes from, so try not to skip that part even if the juice is from a bottle.
Make-ahead and storage
You can cook the chicken and broth base up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, bring it back to a simmer on saute mode, stir in the dry orzo, and cook as directed. Add the lemon juice and zest fresh at the end. This keeps the orzo from turning soft and bloated from sitting in the broth overnight.
Stored with the orzo already in it, the soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave and add a splash of chicken broth to bring it back to a soup consistency. Freezing is possible for up to 2 months, but the orzo will be noticeably softer after thawing. If you plan to freeze it, leave the orzo out and cook it fresh when you reheat the soup.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Press Saute on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil. Once it is hot, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until the onion softens and the vegetables start to smell fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Nestle the whole chicken breasts into the pot on top of the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth. Season with the salt, pepper, and dried dill. Give everything a gentle stir to combine. Press Cancel to turn off Saute mode.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Press Pressure Cook and set to High pressure for 12 minutes. When the cooking time is done, carefully turn the valve to Venting for a quick release. Steam will release forcefully so keep your hands and face clear.
- Open the lid and use tongs to transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Shred the chicken using two forks, pulling it apart into bite-sized pieces. It should pull apart easily. Set it aside.
- Press Saute on the Instant Pot and bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Stir in the dry orzo. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so the orzo does not stick to the bottom, until it is tender but still has a little bite.
- Press Cancel to turn off the heat. Stir the shredded chicken back into the pot. Now add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Do not add these while the broth is still boiling. Adding them off heat keeps the lemon flavor bright and prevents it from turning flat or slightly bitter.
- Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
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