Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe is a delicious dinner. Easy to make in the instant pot, crock pot or on the stove. Lemony and healthy! You can serve it with rice, pasta or zucchini noodles. Either way - it's SO yummy and cozy!
Servings: 6 1.5 cup servings
Calories: 272kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup celery chopped finely
- 1 cup onion chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, about 5 cloves
- 2 cups carrots sliced in small circles
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken broth low or no salt (1.5 quarts)
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (off to the side)
- 1 cup dry orzo or other pasta sub zoodles or GF pasta
Instructions
StoveTop Instructions
- Chop all vegetables (I prefer to put mine in the food processor!) In a large pot, heat olive oil in the pan and sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened (about 5-10 minutes)
- Once cooked, stir in carrots and spices (including bay leaves).
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer over low-medium heat for 45 minute to an hour.
- While the soup cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta per the directions.
- After one hour, remove bay leaves from the chicken broth and discard. Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Add shredded chicken, lemon juice and cooked pasta or zoodles to the pot. Stir to combine and enjoy!
- Pro Tip: To avoid soggy pasta/noodles: Add cooked orzo or zucchini noodles to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the zoodles/pasta. This prevents the pasta/noodles from absorbing chicken broth and turning mushy
Crockpot Instructions:
- In a pan, heat olive oil over stovetop. Sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Add sautéd veggies to the crockpot. Stir in carrots and spices.
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables in crockpot. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours
- While the soup cooks bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta per the directions.
- Remove bay leaves from the broth and discard. Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Add shredded chicken, lemon juice and cooked pasta or zoodles to the pot. Stir to combine and enjoy!
- Pro Tip: To avoid soggy pasta/noodles: Add cooked orzo or zucchini noodles to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the zoodles/pasta. This prevents the pasta/noodles from absorbing broth and turning mushy
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Chop all vegetables. Set instant pot to Sauté mode for 10 minutes
- Heat olive oil in the pan and sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened.
- Once cooked, stir in carrots and spices.
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables/spices in instant pot. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Cover instant pot and set to sealing, ‘Soup’ OR Pressure Cook for 12 minutes.
- Allow the soup to come to pressure and cook. It should take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, but can take longer if your broth is cold.
- While the soup cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta per the directions.
- Once the soup has cooked, quick release the pressure.
- Remove bay leaves from the broth and discard. Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Add shredded chicken, lemon juice and cooked pasta or zoodles to the pot. Stir to combine and enjoy!
- Pro Tip: To avoid soggy pasta/noodles: Add cooked orzo or zucchini noodles to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the zoodles/pasta. This prevents the pasta/noodles from absorbing broth and turning mushy
Video
Notes
Substitutions for this Lemon Chicken Soup
- Pasta - You can add orzo or pasta noodles to this and it will be delicious. Cook the pasta separately and then add it to your soup once the soup is completely cooked.
- Parmesan Cheese - I recommend tossing in a parmesan cheese rind with the soup while it's cooking - it adds so much flavor!
- Broth - Any broth will work in this. You can use bone broth, chicken stock, vegetable stock, etc.
- Vegetarian - You could substitute beans for chicken in this recipe and it would be delicious. You'd also need to sub for vegetarian broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7200IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg