Why you’ll like this one
Not every cool-weather soup needs to spend the afternoon on the stove. This one gets its character from lemon, oregano, garlic, dill and tahini, with chickpeas and chicken providing enough protein to make a bowl feel like dinner.
Tahini is the useful little trick. We’re not adding enough to make the soup taste strongly of sesame. Instead, it blends into the broth, giving it a slightly creamy texture without dairy.
Boneless chicken thighs, canned chickpeas and quick-cooking orzo keep the work manageable. Plan on about 40 minutes from chopping board to table.
Ingredients • Pick your batch
| Ingredient | 6 servings | 12 servings |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, bite-sized | 1¼ lb / 570 g | 2½ lb / 1.14 kg |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Yellow onion, diced | 1 medium | 2 medium |
| Carrots, diced | 2 medium | 4 medium |
| Celery, diced | 2 stalks | 4 stalks |
| Garlic, minced | 4 cloves | 8 cloves |
| Dried oregano | 1½ tsp | 1 tbsp |
| Ground coriander | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| Crushed red pepper flakes (optional) | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp |
| Low-sodium chicken stock | 7 cups | 14 cups |
| Chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed | 1 can (540 mL / 19 oz) | 2 cans (540 mL / 19 oz each) |
| Dry orzo | ¾ cup | 1½ cups |
| Baby spinach | 4 packed cups | 8 packed cups |
| Tahini | 3 tbsp | 6 tbsp (⅜ cup) |
| Fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste | ¼ cup | ½ cup initially |
| Finely grated lemon zest | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Fresh dill, chopped | ¼ cup | ½ cup |
| Fresh parsley, chopped | 2 tbsp | ¼ cup |
| Freshly ground black pepper | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| Kosher salt, plus more as needed | ½ tsp initially | ¾ tsp initially |
For 12 servings, use an 8-quart or larger stockpot. Cook the orzo separately if you’re freezing any of the soup. The double batch uses 6 tablespoons of tahini, exactly twice the smaller batch.
1. Give the chicken some golden edges
Pat the chicken dry and season lightly with some of the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add about half the chicken in a single layer. Leave it undisturbed for about 2 minutes before turning, then continue until several sides have deep golden edges. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest. It doesn’t need to be cooked through yet.
2. Build the vegetable-and-garlic base
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the same pot. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables pick up the browned bits.
Add garlic, oregano, coriander and optional red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 30–45 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the broth and simmer
Pour in about 1 cup of stock and scrape the bottom thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining stock, chickpeas, browned chicken and any juices.
Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C; continue cooking if needed.
4. Cook the orzo on the side
Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of water to a boil. Cook the orzo 1 minute less than the package directions suggest, then drain well.
Keeping the orzo separate stops it drinking up the broth during storage. If the entire pot will be eaten immediately, you can cook it in the soup instead; allow the package cooking time and check the chicken is cooked through.
5. Wilt the spinach and whisk the tahini
Stir the spinach into the soup for about 1 minute, just until wilted. Put the tahini in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in about ¾ cup of hot broth until smooth and creamy.
Slowly stir the tahini mixture back into the soup. Keep the heat low from here on; don’t let the soup boil vigorously.
Tahini can tighten when liquid first hits it. Keep whisking and adding warm broth gradually. It will loosen into a smooth, pale emulsion—no mysterious sesame lumps required.
6. Finish with lemon and herbs
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in lemon juice, zest, dill and parsley. Taste before adding more salt: the soup should be distinctly lemony and herbaceous without becoming sour.
7. Ladle, finish, enjoy
Divide cooked orzo among bowls and ladle the chicken, chickpea and spinach soup over it. Finish with extra dill, black pepper and a small squeeze of lemon if you like.
The flavour finish
Fresh lemon goes in after cooking to keep its bright aroma. Both the juice and zest wait until the pot leaves the heat.
Tahini gives the broth a richer mouthfeel and softens the sharper edges of the lemon. Taste after adding both.
Adequately salty but still a little quiet? Try another teaspoon of lemon juice before reaching for more salt.
Make it your own • Variations for the 6-serving pot
- Turkey: use boneless turkey thighs, cut into small pieces so they cook quickly.
- Vegetarian: omit chicken and use vegetable stock. Add a second can of chickpeas and 2 cups sliced mushrooms. Brown the mushrooms first for a savoury foundation.
- No pasta: omit orzo and use two cans of chickpeas for more fibre and fewer refined carbohydrates.
- More vegetables: add diced zucchini in the final 5 minutes, or swap spinach for chopped kale and allow a few extra minutes to soften.
- Gluten-free: replace orzo with cooked brown rice or certified gluten-free small pasta. Check the stock and tahini labels where necessary.
Freezer notes • Keep the pasta out
Chicken, chickpeas and broth freeze extremely well. Small pasta is exceptionally enthusiastic about absorbing liquid. Freeze it in the soup and you may discover something closer to lemony pasta casserole.
- Cool promptly after cooking. Divide into approximately 3-cup containers for convenient two-person meals.
- Leave about ½ inch of headspace in rigid containers. Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.
- For the freshest finish, leave spinach, tahini, lemon and herbs out of portions destined for the freezer.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator whenever possible. Reheat gently until steaming throughout.
- Cook fresh orzo separately. If you froze only the base, add spinach during reheating, then whisk in tahini and finish with lemon, dill and parsley off the heat.
Even a fully finished frozen soup benefits from a fresh squeeze of lemon before serving. Freezing tends to soften those bright flavours.
Batch-cooking tip
For 12 servings, make the full chicken-chickpea base but cook only enough orzo for tonight. Freeze the rest without pasta.
Later, serve it with fresh orzo, brown rice or extra spinach for a lighter lunch. You can also chop onion, carrots and celery up to two days ahead and refrigerate together in an airtight container.
What to serve with it
- Warm whole-wheat pita with hummus
- Tomato, cucumber and red onion salad
- Roasted zucchini with oregano and lemon
- Greek-style salad with olives and a modest amount of feta
Nutrition snapshot
These figures are estimates and will vary depending on the chicken, chickpeas, tahini, orzo and stock used.
For less sodium, choose unsalted or very low-sodium stock and no-salt-added chickpeas when available. Rinse canned chickpeas thoroughly. Taste and season after adding lemon and herbs; their bright flavours help the bowl feel well seasoned.
| Calories | Protein | Carbohydrates | Fibre | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~445 | ~36 g | ~48 g | ~9 g | ~14 g |