Jump to Recipe
WW Freestyle Recipe of the Day: Chicken Orzo Soup with Lemon
This quick and easy Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe caught my eye when it was featured in Weight Watchers Weekly some time ago. After being on my list of "must try recipes" for far too long, I finally got around to making it this week.
I'm happy to report that this Chicken Orzo Soup with carrots, lemon and fennel was even better than expected. It's light, fresh and flavorful and comes together in less than 30 minutes.
WW Friendly Chicken Orzo Soup
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Chicken Orzo Soup?
Each serving (1-¼ cups) of this light and luscious low calorie soup has 201 calories and:
3 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Recipe Notes
I made a half batch of this soup so we wouldn't have tons of leftovers. The four generous servings turned out to be just the right amount for the two of us to enjoy for dinner one night and lunch a day later.
I added ½ cup of frozen peas for more color and bulk.
Uncooked Orzo Pasta
Orzo, the rice shaped pasta, replaces traditional noodles in this light and luscious version of chicken noodle soup, brightened by the addition of fresh lemon juice and dill. If you don't have orzo, any small cut of pasta would work.
Fresh dill and lemon juice add delightful brightness. But any fresh herb such as parsley, basil or cilantro would work well.
I had leftover cooked chicken breast tenderloins in the fridge. Any cooked chicken breast, including rotisserie chicken, would work.
The recipe calls for fennel. If you are not familiar with it, fennel is a bulbous vegetable with a stalks that look like celery and a wispy, fronded top that looks like dill.
Fennel bulbs
The fronds can be used in salads, but the main part of fennel is the bulb itself. It's very firm and crunchy, and it tastes a little bit like licorice or anise. It has a fresh, bright taste and is used a lot in Italian and Mediterranean cooking.
If you don't have fennel, substitute 2 stalks of thinly sliced celery instead.
How Do You Slice/Chop a Fennel Bulb?
Here's a great video showing you how to slice a fennel bulb:
How to Make Weight Watchers Chicken Orzo Soup?
This simple soup comes together in less than 30 minutes.
You just toss the broth, vegetables and orzo into a soup pot and simmer until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then stir in the chicken and cook for a minute or tow until it is heated through.
When ready to serve remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and dill.
Are You Ready To Slim Down With Soup?
If you've made this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
WW Chicken Orzo Soup with Lemon
Orzo, the rice shaped pasta, replaces traditional noodles in this light and luscious version of chicken noodle soup, brightened by the addition of fresh lemon juice and dill.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Servings (adjustable): 4
Calories: 201
Author: Martha McKinnon | Simple Nourished Living
Ingredients
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
- 2 medium uncooked carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced and then chopped
- ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 cup chopped cooked skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (or more to taste)
Instructions
In a large soup pot, combine broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat.
Add carrots, fennel and orzo; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, with a lid partially covering the pot, until orzo and vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in chicken; cook until heated through.
Remove pot from heat; stir in lemon juice and dill. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, dill, and/or lemon juice as necessary to suit your tastes.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- I added ½ cup of frozen peas for more color and bulk.
- Orzo, the rice shaped pasta, replaces traditional noodles in this light and luscious version of chicken noodle soup, brightened by the addition of fresh lemon juice and dill. If you don't have orzo, any small cut of pasta would work.
- Fresh dill and lemon juice add delightful brightness. But any fresh herb such as parsley, basil or cilantro would work well.
- I had leftover cooked chicken breast tenderloins in the fridge. Any cooked chicken breast, including rotisserie chicken, would work.
- The recipe calls for fennel. If you are not familiar with it, fennel is a bulbous vegetable with a stalks that look like celery and a wispy, fronded top that looks like dill. The fronds can be used in salads, but the main part of fennel is the bulb itself. It's very firm and crunchy, and it tastes a little bit like licorice or anise. It has a fresh, bright taste and is used a lot in Italian and Mediterranean cooking.
- If you don't have fennel, substitute 2 stalks of thinly sliced celery instead.
Serving size: 1-¼ cups
Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.
3 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition Facts
WW Chicken Orzo Soup with Lemon
Amount Per Serving (1 -¼ cups)
Calories 201Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 18g36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy chicken soup, low fat chicken orzo soup
Did you make this recipe?Mention @simplenourishedliving on Instagram and tag #simplenourishedliving - we love to see your creations!
Source: Weight Watchers Weekly
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Yummy Weight Watchers Freestyle Recipes for Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Posole Soup
P.S. Need a little help getting back on track? Eat soup.
Once you discover all the benefits of soup for health and weight loss, you become a soup nut and never look back.
My Skinny Soups eCookBook brimming with easy, healthy, delicious recipes for the slow cooker and stovetop will help!
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
More about Martha McKinnon
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Subscribe to Get: Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes
The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
