Herbed Chicken & Creamy Lemon Orzo
Balances protein and fiber while limiting fat, sodium, and added sugar
- Wheat
- Milk
Specifically designed to be gentle on the stomach and nutrient-dense to support your health goals while on GLP-1 medications, this Mediterranean one-pan wonder transforms orzo into a creamy, zucchini-studded delight! Golden chicken gets a zesty green olive and parsley pan sauce, while grated zucchini melts into silky orzo with cream cheese and lemon zest. Restaurant-worthy flavors ready in under 30 minutes that’ll have you saying “opa!” with every bite!
Ingredients
4 ounce
Orzo Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Zucchini
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Lemon
½ tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
12 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
¼ ounce
Parsley
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 unit
Green Olives
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
3 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
-
Trim zucchini, then grate on the largest holes of a box grater. Zest and quarter lemon. Roughly chop olives. Roughly chop parsley.
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Once water is boiling, add orzo to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
-
Reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings), then drain and rinse under cold water for at least 30 seconds. Wipe out pot.
- In pot used for orzo, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender, 2-3 minutes.
- Add drained orzo, lemon zest, cream cheese, half the garlic powder, and reserved pasta cooking water.
- Turn off heat; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
-
Meanwhile, pat chicken* dry with paper towels; season all over with half the Italian Seasoning (all for 4 servings), salt, and pepper.
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Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. TIP: If chicken is browning too quickly, lower heat and cover.
-
Turn off heat; transfer chicken to a cutting board. Wipe out pan.
- In pan used for chicken, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add olives and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Stir in parsley, stock concentrate, remaining garlic powder, and ⅓ cup water (½ cup for 4 servings). Cook until reduced by half, 30-60 seconds.
- Turn off heat; stir in a squeeze of lemon juice (big squeeze for 4). TIP: For more lemon flavor, squeeze in juice from an additional lemon wedge.
-
Slice chicken crosswise.
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Divide orzo between plates; top with chicken. Spoon pan sauce over chicken and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The olive pan sauce and chicken were well-received, but the lemon-zucchini orzo was widely found bland and in need of more seasoning 🍲. Adding shredded Parmesan, extra lemon juice, or a splash of chicken stock to the orzo made a noticeable difference.
- Ease of prep: The recipe has several concurrent steps that require careful timing; keeping the orzo warm while finishing the chicken helps everything come together at once.
- Suggestions: Squeeze excess moisture from the grated zucchini before adding it to the orzo to prevent a watery, soupy result. Also, zest the lemon before quartering it — the recipe's order makes zesting difficult.
- Leftovers: Orzo keeps well and some found it even better the next day; the olive sauce doesn't store as nicely, so plate it fresh.
- Olives: The olive pan sauce divided opinions — those who enjoy olives loved the briny depth, but those who don't may want to swap in garlic or capers for a similar savory boost.
