Description

This refreshing Lemon Chicken Soup is a light yet hearty meal featuring tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, and bright lemon juice. Perfect for any season, this versatile soup can be made on the stovetop, in a crockpot, or an Instant Pot, allowing you to enjoy a comforting bowl of savory broth with orzo pasta and a citrusy kick. It’s a wholesome dish ideal for family dinners or when you need a soothing, homemade meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Soup Base

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

Pasta & Finishing Touches

1 cup dry orzo pasta
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Prepare the Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot (or sauté pan) over medium-high heat. Sauté diced carrots, onion, celery, and minced garlic for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and release their aromas.
Add Seasonings and Chicken: Incorporate black pepper, dried parsley, dried thyme, salt, bay leaves, chicken breasts, and chicken broth into the pot. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
Cook the Soup (Stovetop method): Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil, which should take about 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Remove Chicken and Bay Leaves: Increase heat briefly to medium-high, then carefully take out the chicken breasts and set them aside. Remove and discard the bay leaves from the soup.
Cook Orzo Pasta: Add the dry orzo pasta to the soup and stir. Cook for half the time recommended on the pasta package, as the pasta will continue cooking off the heat.
Shred Chicken: While the orzo cooks, use two forks to shred the cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
Finish Soup: Remove the soup from heat once the orzo has cooked halfway. Stir shredded chicken and fresh lemon juice into the pot, combining thoroughly before serving to give the soup a bright citrus flavor.
Alternative Cooking Methods: For Crockpot – Sauté vegetables in olive oil, transfer to crockpot with seasonings, chicken, and broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4–6 hours. Cook pasta separately, shred chicken, and add lemon juice before serving. For Instant Pot – Use Sauté mode for vegetables, add remaining ingredients, pressure cook for 12 minutes, quick release, shred chicken, cook pasta separately, and add lemon juice before serving.
Serving Tip: For firmer pasta texture, cook orzo separately and add directly to bowls when serving.

Notes

If cooking on stovetop, pasta is added directly to broth and cooked partially so it finishes in residual heat.
Cooking pasta separately ensures firmer pasta consistency if preferred.
Bay leaves are used to enhance flavor but should be removed before serving.
Lemon juice added at the end brightens the soup and adds fresh acidity.
The recipe supports multiple cooking methods including stovetop, crockpot, and Instant Pot for versatile preparation.
Use low sodium chicken broth to control salt content in the soup.
Sautéing vegetables in olive oil prior to simmering develops deeper flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes (stovetop), 8 hours (crockpot low), 12 minutes (Instant Pot pressure cook) plus pressure build and release time
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: lemon chicken soup, chicken and orzo soup, healthy chicken soup, easy lemon soup, stovetop soup, crockpot lemon chicken, Instant Pot soup