Soup that’s made for slurping….it’s THAT good. This Instant Pot Orzo Chicken Soup cooks in your electric pressure cooker is JUST 4 MINUTES! It’s a fast dinner idea, plus one of the easiest soup recipes you’ll every make in your Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Orzo Chicken Soup Recipe
Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’…..Shall We??? 🙂
This soup is unbelievably delicious. I was skeptical at first, unsure if I’d like the flavors of lemon in a pot of soup. Turns out, it’s absolutely divine!
In case you’re not familiar with orzo, it’s a flat rice-shaped pasta that cooks very quickly. I’m always on the look out for orzo recipes that make quick meals. Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Steak is a favorite recipe at our house, and we also enjoy this Shrimp Scampi Orzo or this. One-Skillet Cheesy Enchilada Orzo Pasta.
3 good reasons to love this recipe –
- You get to use my favorite kitchen tool: the Instant Pot!
- This soup is flavorful and super filling.
- It’s dairy-free and loaded with vegetables.
What ingredients do you need to make Instant Pot Orzo Chicken Soup?
- Olive oil
- Spices: dried dill and Italian seasoning
- Orzo pasta
- Celery, Carrots, Onions, and Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fully cooked and chopped
- Eggs
- Lemon zest and juice
- Baby spinach or baby kale
How to Make Instant Pot Orzo Chicken Soup in 4 Easy Steps
- Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add the oil. When the oil is nicely hot, add the spices, orzo, celery, carrots, onions, and garlic; sauté for one minute, then add the chicken broth to the pot, bringing it to a full boil.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid into place choosing the High Pressure for 4 minutes; bring the Instant Pot to full pressure. When the timer sounds, perform a quick release to remove all the pressure from the Instant Pot. Unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid and let the soup cool.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, lemon zest and juice together in a bowl. Once the soup is fully cooled, stir in the prepared egg mixture, along with the cooked chicken and baby spinach; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Using the sauté setting once more, reheat the soup until it’s nicely hot. Serve soup at once with a good crusty bread.
Helpful Tips for Cooking with Orzo and Lemon
What if this Orzo Chicken Soup is a little too “lemon-y” for me?
- If that’s the case, I’d eliminate the lemon zest, rather than the lemon juice. Lemon zest packs a stronger punch than the juice, which is why I love it so much!
What’s the best way to zest a lemon?
- Run…don’t walk, and get yo-self a Microplane zester! This tool makes zesting fun and easy, so you won’t be tempted to skip adding the zest to any recipe.
What’s so great about citrus zest, anyway?
- Citrus zest is is a powerful ingredient that’s also sugar, fat, and calorie free. Just a small amount of citrus zest added to any recipe will brighten and heighten the ingredient combination.
What is orzo pasta?
- Orzo pasta is a flat, rice-shaped pasta that cooks quickly and is delicious in soup, salads, or served just as a pasta side dish. Orzo loves to soak up moisture, so as this soup sets, you may have to add more broth.
If I don’t have orzo pasta on hand, can I substitute another shape of pasta in this soup recipe?
- Sure thing. You could substitute acini de pepe pasta that is smaller in size and will cook quickly, much like orzo pasta does. Actually, any type of pasta will work in this recipe, but you will likely need to increase the time in the Instant Pot from 4 minutes to 5 minutes.
More Favorite Recipes to Enjoy –
Instant Pot Orzo Chicken Soup
Soup that's made for slurping....it's THAT good. This Instant Pot Orzo Chicken Soup cooks in your electric pressure cooker is JUST 4 MINUTES! It's a fast and easy dinner idea.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 192kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1-2 tsp. dried dill
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 2-3 ribs celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed crushed
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked and chopped (2-3 cups of cooked, chopped chicken of any type works great)
- 3 eggs
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 cups chopped or torn fresh baby spinach or baby kale
Instructions
- Using the sauté setting on your Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), add the oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add the spices, orzo, celery, carrots, onion, and garlic; sauté for one minute, then add the chicken broth to the pot, bringing it to a full boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, lock the Instant Pot lid into place; use the manual setting to set the cook time to 4 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure. When the timer sounds, perform a quick release to remove all the pressure. Turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot to rest on a cooling rack. Let the soup cool down for 30 minutes, stirring it often to speed up the cooling.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Once the soup has cooled down, stir in the egg/lemon mixture, along with the cooked chicken and fresh spinach. ** Please Note: If the soup is too hot when you add the egg/lemon mixture, it will cook your eggs and you’ll have a scrambled egg soup...don't do it!
- Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper, then return the inner pot to the IP. Using the sauté setting once again, heat the soup to the desired serving temperature. Serve at once with good, crusty bread.
Notes
If soup is too "lemon-y", eliminate the lemon zest rather than the lemon juice. It has a stronger flavor.
www.ChefAlli.com
Nutrition
Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3045IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
Chicken+Orzo+Lemon, a match made in Heaven! Yummmm….