Description
This refreshing Lemon Chicken Soup is a comforting and zesty dish featuring tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and orzo pasta, all simmered in a flavorful lemon-infused chicken broth. Perfect for any season, this recipe offers versatile cooking methods including stovetop, crockpot, and instant pot, making it easy to prepare according to your schedule.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: In a large pot or pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté diced carrots, chopped onion, celery, and minced garlic for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add Seasonings and Broth: Add black pepper, dried parsley, thyme, salt, bay leaves, chicken breasts, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir ingredients to combine evenly.
- Cook Chicken Soup: Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, which should take approximately 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove Chicken and Bay Leaves: Heat back up to medium-high and carefully remove the chicken breasts from the soup. Set the chicken aside and remove the bay leaves from the broth.
- Cook Orzo Pasta: Add the dry orzo pasta to the simmering soup and cook for half of the package recommended time. During this time, shred the cooked chicken breasts using two forks.
- Final Assembly: Once the orzo has cooked halfway, remove the soup from the heat to prevent overcooked pasta as it will continue softening in the hot soup. Stir in the shredded chicken and fresh lemon juice until well combined.
- Optional Pasta Tip: For firmer pasta, cook orzo separately in boiling water according to package instructions and add to individual bowls when serving.
- Crockpot Method: Sauté the vegetables as described above. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to the crockpot, then add seasonings, chicken breasts, and broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta separately. Remove chicken and bay leaves from crockpot, shred chicken, then add shredded chicken, lemon juice, and cooked pasta to the crockpot before serving.
- Instant Pot Method: Use the Sauté mode to cook vegetables in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add seasonings, chicken breasts, and broth, then seal the lid. Cook on ‘Soup’ or Pressure Cook for 12 minutes. Allow the pressure to build (about 10 minutes). Perform a quick release once cooking completes. Remove chicken and bay leaves, shred chicken, and add shredded chicken, lemon juice, and separately cooked orzo pasta to the pot. Stir to combine.
Notes
- This soup can be made in advance and stored refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Using low sodium chicken broth helps control the salt content.
- If you prefer a less lemony flavor, reduce lemon juice to 1/4 cup.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute orzo with gluten-free pasta or rice.
- Adjust orzo cooking time based on package instructions to avoid mushy pasta.
- Shredding the chicken after cooking ensures tender, easy-to-eat pieces throughout the soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lemon chicken soup, chicken and orzo soup, easy chicken soup, lemon soup recipe, healthy chicken soup
