Description

This Crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is bright, cozy, and incredibly easy to make. Tender shredded chicken, delicate orzo pasta, and soft vegetables simmer slowly in a zesty lemon-herb broth, then get finished with fresh spinach and parsley. It’s the perfect balance of comforting and refreshing in one nourishing bowl.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Place the chicken breasts in an even layer on the bottom of the crockpot.
Add the chicken broth, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the crockpot.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and place them on a cutting board. Shred the chicken using two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the crockpot.
Stir in the uncooked orzo. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 20–30 minutes, or until the orzo is tender, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking.
Just before serving, stir in the fresh spinach and let it wilt in the hot soup for 2–3 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

Use low-sodium chicken broth so you can better control the salt level in your soup.
The soup will naturally thicken as the orzo absorbs liquid; add extra broth or water if you prefer it brothier.
For a stronger lemon flavor, add extra lemon juice right before serving rather than cooking it for the full duration.
If the orzo sits in the soup for a long time, it will continue to absorb liquid thin with more broth as needed when reheating.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours (on LOW)
Category: Soup, Main Course
Method: Slow Cooker / Crockpot
Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired, American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
Calories: ≈320 kcal
Sugar: ≈4 g
Sodium: ≈700 mg (varies with broth)
Fat: ≈7 g
Saturated Fat: ≈2 g
Unsaturated Fat: ≈5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: ≈35 g
Fiber: ≈3 g
Protein: ≈27 g
Cholesterol: ≈70 mg

Keywords: crockpot lemon chicken orzo soup, slow cooker chicken soup, lemon chicken soup, healthy chicken soup, easy weeknight dinner, comfort food