Description
This comforting Lemon Chicken Soup features tender chicken breasts, flavorful vegetables, and bright lemon juice, all simmered with orzo pasta in a savory chicken broth. Perfect for a light yet satisfying meal, this recipe can be made on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, or a crockpot, offering versatile options for any kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup 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
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Pasta
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
Instructions
- Heat Oil and Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups diced carrots, 1 cup finely chopped onion, ½ cup finely chopped celery, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Add Seasonings and Chicken: Stir in ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, and 6 cups low sodium chicken broth. Mix well.
- Bring to Boil and Simmer: Cover the pot and bring to a boil, which takes about 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove Chicken and Bay Leaves: Turn heat back to medium-high. Carefully remove chicken breasts and set aside. Discard bay leaves.
- Cook Orzo: Add 1 cup dry orzo pasta to the soup and stir. Cook for half the recommended package time (about 4 to 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. The pasta will continue cooking off heat.
- Shred Chicken: While orzo cooks, shred the cooked chicken breasts with two forks into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine and Finish: Remove soup from heat. Stir shredded chicken and ½ cup fresh lemon juice into the soup until well combined.
Notes
- You can substitute any pasta for orzo but cook it separately for best texture.
- Add a parmesan cheese rind during cooking for extra flavor, then remove before serving.
- Any type of broth works, including bone broth or vegetable stock.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with beans and use vegetarian broth.
- Cooking pasta separately prevents it from becoming too soft in the soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cup
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
