Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Lemon Chicken & Orzo Soup

Lemon chicken and orzo soup is a simple soup that can be enjoyed any time of the year. Make this citrus flavored dish in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.

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Most of the country right now is either knee-deep in snow or experiencing record-breaking freezing temperatures. It’s not snowing here in Los Angeles but we’re in the middle of a huge rain storm which is rare for us.  Rain means soup weather in my mind and I’ve been itching to make this soup. Or re-make I should say. Originally this was a chicken & orzo casserole but after several attempts, I’m still not happy with the outcome so here we are with a soup instead. Soups are much simpler for me.

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On average,1 lemon will make 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of lemon zest. I usually add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice. But that’s just my personal preference.

The chicken. I left it vague on purpose because you have leeway here. I used a large 1 pound skin-on, bone-in chicken breast. The meat was so tender that I had no problem removing the skin and bones. Most people will probably want to use  boneless, skinless chicken or thighs. Chicken legs are an option too! The chicken should be so tender that is shreds very easily with one fork. If it’s not, keep cooking it until it is.

If you don’t have orzo, you can substitute another pasta.

Make this low-carb, paleo, and whole30 compliant by stirring in cauliflower rice rather than orzo.

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Lemon Chicken & Orzo Soup

• Author: Fit SlowCooker Queen

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
• 3/4 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• zest & juice of 1 lemon
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon, sliced (garnish)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (garnish)

Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, celery, carrot, salt, pepper, oregano, broth, water, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
2. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker along with the orzo pasta and lemon slices.
3. Cover and cook an additional 15-30 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
4. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Instant Pot

1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select Sauté. Once Hot add oil to the pot.
2. Add onion, celery, carrot & garlic, and cook for a 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the broth, and using a wooden spoon scrape well the bottom of the Instant Pot to remove any bits that stuck to it, make sure you scrape it well to avoid burning during cooking.
4. Add chicken, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, oregano, and water to the Instant Pot. Stir to mix well.
5. Select pressure cook/manual setting and set time for 10 minutes. Quick-release pressure.
6. Remove chicken from IP and shred. Add chicken back into the IP along with the orzo and lemon slices. Stir to mix well. Close lid and cook an additional 15-30 minutes on warm or until pasta is tender.
7. Remove bay leaf before serving.

I used a 6-quart slow cooker /or Instant Pot.

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