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Will Cook For Smiles

Chicken Meatball & Orzo Hearty Soup

by 62 Comments

It’s my new twist on a classic Chicken Noodle recipe, but this particular one has much more flavor and it’s much more fun! It’s a delicious soup made with chicken meatballs, veggies, and orzo pasta.

Chicken Soup

CHICKEN SOUP

For all of you picky eaters and those who try to feed picky eaters, this soup might just be your saving grace. Both of my kids can be quite impossible to feed and sometimes, even my husband whines when I make something with too many veggies. 

So to try and please them, I put a fun twist on a classic chicken noodle soup with chicken meatballs instead of plain old chicken breast and orzo instead of noodles. They loved it! They loved the taste and they loves the addition of meatballs.

My secret with this recipe is in searing to get caramelization on onions and meatballs. So much great flavor comes from caramelized onion and meatballs, so make sure to get the onions golden brown and the meatballs too.

When you slowly add the stock, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon to deglaze all that browned goodness off the bottom of the pan and mix it into the broth.

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chicken noodle soup

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN MEATBALL SOUP

Meatballs:

Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in the mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Use a cookie scoop to get equal amount of mixture for the meatballs. Cover a cutting board with parchment paper and place meatballs into the paper. 

Soup:

Preheat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and shredded carrots and saute until it begins to caramelize. Make sure to stir often.

When it’s nicely golden, add crushed garlic and lower the heat to medium. Saute until garlic is fragrant then take the veggies out of the pot and set aside.

Add a little more oil and the meatballs. Cook meatballs on one side until golden brown and flip. Cook meatballs on the other side until golden brown as well. Once meatballs are almost cooked, add the veggies back into the pot and then pout in chicken stock.

Season with salt and pepper and add a bay leaf. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes.

Stir in orzo and dill weed and cook until orzo is done. (About 10 minutes but make sure to taste the orzo to check.)

*Remember to discard bay leaf once the soup is done.*

chicken noodle soup

SOME MORE RECIPES TO TRY:

Broccoli Bacon Cheese

Butternut Squash Potato

Chicken Bisque

Italian Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Zuppa Toscana 

chicken and pasta soup

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4.11 from 47 votes
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Chicken Meatball and Orzo Soup

Fun twist on a classic Chicken Noodle recipe, but this particular one has much more flavor and it's much more fun! It's a delicious soup made with chicken meatballs, veggies, and orzo pasta.

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken meatballs, Orzo, soup
Servings 4
Calories 525 kcal

Ingredients

Chicken Meatballs:

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced dill weed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Soup

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil to cook vegetables
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots shredded
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil to cook meatballs
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh dill weed
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Meatballs:

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in the mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

  2. Use a cookie scoop to get equal amount of mixture for the meatballs. Cover a cutting board with parchment paper and place meatballs onto the paper. 

Soup:

  1. Preheat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and shredded carrots and saute until it begins to caramelize. Make sure to stir often.

  2. When it’s nicely golden, add crushed garlic and lower the heat to medium. Saute until garlic is fragrant then take the veggies out of the pot and set aside.

  3. Add a little more oil and the meatballs. Cook meatballs on one side until golden brown and flip. Cook meatballs on the other side until golden brown as well. Once meatballs are almost cooked, add the veggies back into the pot and then pout in chicken stock.

  4. Season with salt and pepper and add a bay leaf. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes.

  5. Stir in orzo and dill weed and cook until orzo is done. (About 10 minutes but make sure to taste the orzo to check.)

  6. *Remember to discard bay leaf once the soup is done.*

Recipe Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Meatball and Orzo Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 525 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 138mg46%
Sodium 278mg12%
Potassium 1067mg30%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 5155IU103%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 78mg8%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Chicken Meatball & Orzo Soup

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on November 3, 2013. Updated August 1, 2019.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janet

    I just threw together a chicken and veggie soup for lunch. Tis the season! Thanks for the recipe. I do not eat orzo but would substitute potatoes, maybe even sweet potatoes. YUMMY!

    Reply

  2. Gloria // Simply Gloria

    My youngest is the same way. Usually surprises me, though with his taste buds. Sometimes picky and when I expect him to be picky… he’s not! My boys would definitely love this kind of soup. And, so would I! Have a happy Sunday, my friend!!

    Reply

  3. Karen Goodman

    OMG, this looks SO good. I’ve never known what to do with ground chicken, so I’ve stayed away from it. And I love orzo. I am so going to try this.

    And your timing is perfect. My Future Expat Required Ingredient Link Party that went live today is featuring chicken. I hope you’ll stop by and link it up so my readers can find this great recipe too!

    Reply

  5. Marisa France

    I can smell the heavenly aroma!! Just this morning I woke up and said – what kind of soup are we going to make next?? This sounds great. We’ve made chili, lemon chicken orzo, beef vegetable barley. My kids have insisted that along with Thanksgiving dinner they want my Gnocchi en brood. It is my mom’s recipe and the gnocchi are not made of potato but light as a feather little pillows made with egg, parmesan, and farina.

    Reply

  6. Marisa Franca

    I meant to ask you, do you grind your chicken? If not, have you ever tried? We grind our own meat but have never tried the poultry.

    Reply

    • lyuba

      Sorry for the late response, Marisa!
      I don’t grind my own mean right now but when I lived with my grandma, we did all our own ground meat. I do like it much better!

      Reply

  7. Michelle @ Elegance & Enchantment

    This sounds so yummy, and I can’t wait to make it. I don’t have any kiddos, but my hubby isn’t always open to soups. He does, however LOVE orzo, so hopefully I can use that to coax him into trying it. If not, more for me to enjoy! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  9. Erin

    Oh yes, this is just the recipe my kitchen has been missing! How perfect for these first few weeks of breaking in the chillier temps! I’d love for you to share this recipe with my link party Life Created Tuesdays! Thanks for the recipe inspiration 🙂

    Reply

  11. Cara

    This looks amazing! Just wondering, how much meatballs should you end up with? Just so I have a rough estimate, I guess it’s not too important, they just might need more cooking or something? Thanks!

    Reply

    • lyuba

      Sorry for the late response, Cara!
      Honestly, it really doesn’t matter. I made smaller meatballs for my son to easily eat them but you can make them any size!

      Reply

  16. Jen

    I have been looking forward to making this and finally did today. It was yummy! I had ground turkey on hand, so I used it instead of ground chicken, broth instead of stock. I wish I would have stock on hand, but I’ll use it next time.
    Wonderful recipe!!

    Reply

    • Cath

      Thank you for being a reader who posted after they tried this recipe. So many people comment on how wonderful the recipe sounds but so few seem to comment after it’s been made. I had to scroll many comments before I got yours.

      Reply

      • Pamela

        It’s a breezy sunny Sunday afternoon here in West Palm Beach, Fl and I saw the recipe and immediately knew I had to make it. …what’s not to like. It’s on to stovetop as I’m writing my review and I already know it’s a hit. I’ve tasted the meatballs and the broth and its “Delicioso!!! I can’t wait to properly sit down with my husband and really enjoy every bit of this recipe. I did have a challenge with the meatballs sticking and falling apart a little sny recommendation? Thank you for sharing your love of food and eating.

        Reply

  18. H

    Stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight. It was really good and the whole family enjoyed it. I did have to add a little more broth as the orzo cooked to keep it “soupy” but otherwise, was a great dinner. Thanks!

    Reply

  19. Sarah

    We loved this recipe! A couple things we did differently: subbed turkey for chicken as it was cheaper at the market, used acini de pepe pasta as it cooks in the same time as orzo and I also had it on-hand, and we also pureed the vegetables because my boyfriend doesn’t like “chunks” in his soup. 😉 It was quite good. We’d make it again! We served it alongside asiago bread.

    Reply

  20. Kaitlain Lake

    I made the chicken meatball and orzo soup for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! I was pleasantly surprised since I’ve never cooked with ground chicken. I’m trying to work my way through all of my pinterest recipes and and then comment on thee original pages. Your recipe has been the best so far!!!

    Reply

  21. Jaclyn

    Hi! Making the soup now can’t wait to try it! Only thing was the chicken meatball mix was really kinda sticky to work with so I added water to my hand to make it a bit easier and I had to do the meatballs in batches bc they all wouldn’t fit in my pan but I can’t wait to try it smells really good!!

    Reply

  22. Tracy

    I really like this recipe and so glad I stumbled upon your site. I have an old friend from the Ukraine. she is Russian also, and her mother makes some wonderful chicken meatballs. These taste similar. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes. But….let me get to this review. I actually made a blunder which ended up being a good thing. I had a little glass of wine, and went to sit on the patio while waiting for the soup, the last step. I forgot about the soup and when I came back, all of the liquid had been absorbed. It was no longer a soup, but a stew or not even that, but a wonderful mix of orzo, veggies, and meatballs. My husband is not a huge soup fan, so this worked out well for him. It was hard to judge the amount of salt it needed. I was afraid to put too much. So next time I make it, which there will be a next time, I will either add more salt or add a packet of onion soup mix. I would even consider adding a squeeze of lemon juice. Thanks for sharing your recipes!

    Reply

    • lyuba

      Haha, I have definitely done it before! I’m glad that you were able to salvage the soup/stew 🙂
      I would just add a little more salt and taste is as it’s cooking! I’m so glad you liked it!

      Reply

  24. Di

    Yum !!!! I just made this this AM and had it for lunch,,,,it’s delish !!! Now tell me ,,,,can it be frozen ? I would love to bring some to my Mom ,,but I won’t see her for 2 weeks 🙂

    Reply

    • lyuba

      Hi Di!
      I’m so glad you liked it!!
      Honestly, I’ve never frozen it before. I’m not sure how cooked pasta would react for freezing and defrosting. Good luck!!

      Reply

    • becca

      Did you ever try freezing? I’m dying to know if it worked! I want to share with my Mom too, and she won’t be here for two weeks either! Funny how that works.

      Reply

      • lyuba

        Hi Becca! I’m sorry, I haven’t. I cook so much and so often, especially with working on the cookbook, I haven’t had the need to freeze it. I also forgot to try that. Things have me more than crazy 🙂 Next time I make it, I will definitely try.

        Reply

        • sarah

          Approximately how many people does this serve at i’m assuming 1 bowl per person? I have a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) Trying to decide if i should double the recipe or not. Thank you for your help in advance.

          Reply

          • lyuba

            I would say that the recipe would be enough for dinner but most likely no leftovers. I would also depend on everyone’s appetite 🙂 You can add another cup of stock too. This soup should make 7-8 cups.

            Reply

          • Tracey

            Sarah, I needed to serve four as well (myself, hubby, and two large teenagers!), so I made the recipe as is, only I added in twice as much stock, to ‘extend’ the soup, it was perfect and then I had a french loaf and a french baguette to go with it, to make sure they are good and full! 🙂

            Reply

      • Kathryn

        I think it would work but Make sure the orzo is u set done. That way when reheating the pasta won’t be over done. Same for the veg too really. Only things that need to be cooked through are the meatballs. Everything else….if freezing it all should be under done so it can finish cooking when you actually are for group eat it. I make a lot of soups and freeze them for me (single) and my parents.

        Reply

  25. Julie

    Chicken Meatball Orzo Soup : I found it quite bland as prepared by recipe instruction. I added 2 tsps. Old Bay seasoning to zest it up some rather than a bay leaf.

    Reply

  27. Tracey

    This soup was delicious. I loved it with chicken, rather than turkey, the meatballs stayed lovely and moist. The only changes I made were to double the stock, (to make sure I had enough soup for my big boys!) and I used just a wee bit of dried thyme in the meatballs, as I am not a fan of dill. I put fresh chopped garlic in the meatballs and made sure to season them really well with salt and pepper. Then I didn’t realize I needed more garlic for the soup portion, so I just sprinkled in a little garlic powder after the veggies were mostly caramelized. The broth came out dark and rich, very tasty. I added more salt and pepper to taste just before the orzo went in. We ate it with a French loaf and a French baguette. I much preferred the chicken meatballs to the turkey meatballs I have made in the past. This was perfect for a chilly November evening. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  29. beth

    The chicken meatball with orzo is THE BOMB! I’ve made it lots, eaten it lots, shared it lots. We have tried to pre-make and freeze the meatballs, but end up just eating them up. It’s just sooo good.

    That fresh dill really is the game changer.

    Reply

    • lyuba

      Hi Maria!
      Oh, I wish I could give you exact time. I haven’t made it in an instant pot. What I would do is saute veggies and meatballs in the Instant Pot, much like on stove-top, and then add broth and orzo and pressure cook on high for may be 5 minutes. I’d let it do a natural release for about 5 minutes and then do a quick release.
      I haven’t tried making it in instant pot but that I what I would do. Orzo is quite fast to cook in instant pot and meatballs will me about half done after saute.
      I hope it works out well!!

      Reply

  31. Laurie

    I prepared this soup and we loved it!
    The photo is what drew me too it. The picture is deceiving as mine didn’t come close to yellow. With all the wonderful scrapings from the onion and garlic along with cooked carrots I’m not sure how the color yellow came about.
    Next time I will use 1/2 the orzo as it sucks up the liquid so quickly it’s no longer soup but still so tasty especially the next day. Will make again.

    Reply

    • lyuba

      Honestly, I’m not sure about the color because all my onion and carrot based soups come out quite yellow. Even potato soup that i make with onions and carrots comes out with a yellow tint. May be it the type of carrots.
      I agree, when kept overnight, many pasta soups soak up a lot of liquid. If I know that we won’t be eating all the soup in one sitting, I add extra stock when I cook it.
      Thank you, Laurie and I”m so happy you liked the soup!

      Reply

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