Lemon Orzo Soup with Shrimp

Our next door neighbor used to go on many travels around the world and bring us back something from her trips. She would bring us truffle honey from Italy, a purse from Vietnam, and from one of them, she brought us back some orzo from Greece.

It sat on our shelf for a long time. I had never made orzo before. It was daunting. I’m not sure why. But finally, I decided that orzo needed to find its way into a tasty dish. So this lemon orzo soup with shrimp was born.

I found a recipe on Pinterest for a lemon orzo soup, and then modified to my tastes. First, extra orzo and carrots. Add some shrimp. And on my second time making this, more lemon, too.

The result? A hearty, delicious, filling soup.

I’ve made this once for Josh and myself, and once for my mom and myself. The verdict? It’s been added to the rotation of meals. Which means we’ll probably run out of this authentic Greek orzo soon. Which means we need to take a trip to Greece soon. A girl can dream, right?

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Orzo Soup with Shrimp

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Soup

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 small carrots grated
• 6 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 cup orzo
• 10 large shrimp deveined and peeled
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 1 tsp dried basil
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the olive oil to the pot. Once oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
• Add the carrot and sauté for another two minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and orzo to the pot. Cook until orzo is tender, with a slight bite, about 10 minutes (but can depend on the orzo).
• While orzo is cooking, prepare the shrimp. In a skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add 10 large shrimp to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, flipping once, until shrimp are cooked through and pink. Set aside.
• Once orzo soup is finished, add the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt, pepper and dried basil.
• Spoon into bowls, and add the cooked shrimp to the soup.