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Lemon chicken orzo soup with vegetables and herbs in a white bowl

Photo: Karen and Brad Emerson / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Instant Pot Family Dinners

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Chicken, vegetables and tender orzo meet plenty of fresh lemon in a bright soup whose pasta stays intact because it cooks after pressure.

Developed for DishGal · Updated 2026-09-20

Instant Pot Family DinnersEasy Chicken Recipes
Prep12 min
Cook33 min
Total45 min
Cost$1.90

Directions

  1. Sauté the vegetables

    Select Sauté, add oil, onion, carrots and celery, and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and oregano for 30 seconds.

  2. Deglaze and load

    Pour in 1 cup broth and scrape the base clean. Add remaining broth, bay leaf, chicken, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cancel Sauté.

  3. Pressure cook

    Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder.

  4. Shred the chicken

    Open after the float valve drops. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer chicken to a board, verify 165°F and shred.

  5. Cook orzo uncovered

    Select Sauté and bring the broth to a simmer. Stir in orzo and cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until just tender. Cancel Sauté.

  6. Brighten at the end

    Return chicken and stir in lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, spinach and herbs. Rest 2 minutes until spinach wilts, then adjust salt, pepper and lemon.

Why this works

Why it worksOrzo cooks after pressure, preventing foam at the valve and soft, swollen pasta.
Why it worksLemon zest and juice enter at the end so their aroma stays fresh.
Why it worksSpinach wilts from residual heat and keeps its color.

Useful kitchen gear

Tools that make this easier.

Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.

Paid links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay no additional cost.
Stainless electric multi-cooker with a locking lid and digital controls Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe recipe timing, minimum liquid, and family-size yield are written around this common capacity.See current options → Two digital probe cooking thermometers beside prepared ingredients Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerVerify chicken, pork, meatballs, and meatloaf safely instead of relying only on programmed pressure time.See current options → Two heat-safe oven mitts hanging above kitchen pots and pans Compare on AmazonHeat-safe oven mittsDry, secure grip matters when lifting a hot pot-in-pot bowl, trivet, or foil sling.See current options →

Swaps & notes

Easy swaps

  • Use 3 cups cooked shredded chicken: pressure-cook the broth and vegetables for 3 minutes, then add chicken with the orzo.
  • Use small ditalini or pastina and follow package timing on Sauté.
  • Replace spinach with chopped kale and simmer it with the orzo for the final 4 minutes.

Cook notes

  • The soup may thicken overnight because orzo continues absorbing broth.
  • Add lemon gradually; different fruit yields and acidity vary.
  • Do not pressure-cook the orzo in this full pot of broth.
  • Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker; follow the minimum-liquid, fill-limit and release instructions for your exact model.
  • Never force the lid. Open only after pressure is fully released and the float valve has dropped.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days, preferably with orzo stored separately. Add broth when reheating to 165°F. Freeze the soup base without orzo, spinach or lemon for up to 3 months.

Questions

Can I make it creamy?

Yes. Stir in 1/2 cup half-and-half after canceling Sauté; do not pressure-cook dairy.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes. Use the same timing and confirm 165°F before shredding.

Why wait to add lemon?

Pressure cooking dulls fresh citrus aroma and can emphasize bitterness from zest, so both go in after the lid opens.

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Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
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1. Sauté the vegetablesSelect Sauté, add oil, onion, carrots and celery, and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and oregano for 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze and loadPour in 1 cup broth and scrape the base clean. Add remaining broth, bay leaf, chicken, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cancel Sauté.
3. Pressure cookLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder.
4. Shred the chickenOpen after the float valve drops. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer chicken to a board, verify 165°F and shred.
5. Cook orzo uncoveredSelect Sauté and bring the broth to a simmer. Stir in orzo and cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until just tender. Cancel Sauté.
6. Brighten at the endReturn chicken and stir in lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, spinach and herbs. Rest 2 minutes until spinach wilts, then adjust salt, pepper and lemon.