Description
A comforting and zesty Lemon Chicken Soup featuring tender chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, and orzo pasta in a bright lemon-infused broth. This recipe offers versatile cooking methods including stovetop, crockpot, and instant pot, making it easy to prepare a wholesome, flavorful meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
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 and Lemon
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced carrots, chopped onion, celery, and minced garlic. Sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and release their aromas.
- Add Seasonings and Chicken: Stir in black pepper, dried parsley, thyme, salt, and bay leaves. Place the chicken breasts into the pot and pour in the chicken broth. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Bring Soup to Boil and Simmer: Cover the pot and increase heat to bring the soup to a boil, which should take around 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium, leaving the pot covered, and let it cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Remove Chicken and Bay Leaves: Turn heat back to medium-high. Carefully remove chicken breasts and set aside to cool slightly. Remove and discard bay leaves from the soup base.
- Add Orzo to Soup: Stir the dry orzo pasta into the hot soup. Cook the orzo for half the recommended package time, allowing it to partially soften while still firm in texture. The pasta will finish cooking as the soup cools.
- Shred Chicken: While orzo cooks, shred the cooled chicken breasts using two forks into bite-sized pieces.
- Finish Soup with Lemon and Chicken: Remove the soup from heat. Add the shredded chicken and fresh lemon juice to the pot. Stir well to combine all flavors.
- Serving Tip: For a firmer pasta texture, you may choose to cook the orzo separately in boiling water and add it to individual bowls when serving.
- Alternative Cooking Methods: Crockpot – Sauté vegetables in olive oil then transfer all ingredients except pasta and lemon juice to crockpot; cook low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Add cooked pasta, shredded chicken, and lemon juice at the end.
Instant Pot – Use sauté mode to cook vegetables, add remaining ingredients (except pasta and lemon juice), seal, and cook on Soup or Pressure Cook mode for 12 minutes. Quick release pressure, add shredded chicken, cooked pasta, and lemon juice to finish.
Notes
- Pasta Substitutions: You can use any small pasta like orzo or noodles. For best texture, cook pasta separately and add just before serving.
- Parmesan Enhancement: Adding a Parmesan rind to the soup while cooking enriches the flavor.
- Broth Variations: Bone broth, chicken stock, or vegetable stock can be used interchangeably based on preference.
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute chicken with beans and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian-friendly version.
