Lemon Orzo Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

This Lemon Orzo Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs is the epitome of delicious comfort. A bright and flavorful bone broth, tender orzo, leafy greens, aromatics, and the most delicious parmesan chicken meatballs all come together to make this soup something special. Nourishing, comforting, and so tasty — it’s just what winter ordered!

I am a ride-or-die soup lover. I actually eat it all year, but like most people, I definitely eat the most soup in the dead of winter.

There’s simply nothing better than a hot, brothy bowl of comfort food when you’re freezing and everything is gray outside.

This Lemon Orzo Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs is my newest soup obsession.

I adore lemon orzo soup. It’s tangy and bright while still soothing my sunshine-craving soul. I make it frequently this time of year.

For protein, I typically add rotisserie chicken breast. After awhile, though, I knew I wanted to switch up the protein to something more interesting. With lots of flavor.

Enter my parmesan chicken meatballs!

These little gems are juicy and tender and packed with a TON of cheesy, garlicky flavor. My household loves these over pasta.

Today, though, we’re adding them to lemon orzo soup! And I may never make said soup any other way.

This is just too darn good.

Ingredients You Need to Make This Lemon Orzo Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs:

For the Soup:

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Celery
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Dried Italian herbs
• Bay leaves
• Chicken bone broth (I prefer bone broth but regular chicken broth will also work!)
• Orzo pasta
• Baby spinach or lacinato kale
• Lemons
• Salt and pepper

For the Meatballs:

• Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• Garlic
• Ketchup
• Milk
• Dried Italian herbs
• Garlic salt
• Black pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• Ground chicken
• Olive oil

How to Make This Lemon Orzo Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs:

For the Soup:

• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Add in the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes.
• Add in the celery and carrots and cook for another few minutes.
• Add in the garlic, dried herbs, and bay leaves and cook for another minute.
• Add in the bone broth and stir to combine everything. Bring the broth to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the broth simmer for about 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add in the orzo and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the baby spinach/kale and fresh lemon juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Once the meatballs are done cooking, add them to the soup.
• Serve hot, garnished with grated parmesan cheese and additional lemon wedges on the side.

For the Meatballs:

• While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, ketchup, milk, seasonings, and cheese. Taste the mixture – it should taste slightly overseasoned at this point. Adjust the seasoning as necessary before adding in the egg and the ground chicken.
• Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the mixture and form into small meatballs, about ½-inch in diameter. Place the formed meatballs onto the baking sheet.
• Once all the meatballs are formed, drizzle them with a little olive oil and then transfer to the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.
• Add the meatballs to the soup once the orzo is tender.

The perfect bite right there. Mmmm.

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