Crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup + VIDEO

Crockpot lemon chicken orzo soup is a citrus flavored soup chicken soup that’s easy to make. This fuss-free slow cooker version combines chicken breasts or thighs along with lemon juice and zest. Serve this lemon chicken orzo recipe year-round; it is comforting enough for cold winter nights but also light enough for sunny spring days.  Instructions to make this easy chicken soup in the Instant Pot are also included. 

Soup season is officially here. The citrus flavored chicken noodle soup is in regular rotation in my house. Yes I said chicken noodle soup….

Ingredients For Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts
• Orzo Pasta
• Juice and Zest of Lemon
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Garlic
• Chicken Broth + Water
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, dried oregano

How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup In The Slow Cooker

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.
2. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
3. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker along with the orzo pasta. Stir to mix.
4. Cover and cook an additional 15-30 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with lemon slices.

Instant Pot

1. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Once hot, add the add oil to the pot. Add onion, celery, and carrots & cook for a 3-5 minutes, until veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
2. Add the broth & water and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
3. Add chicken, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir to mix well.
4. Select manual setting, high pressure for 20 minutes. When cook time is done, quick-release the pressure.
5. Remove chicken from pressure cook and shred.
6. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Add chicken back into the pot along with the orzo. Cook on sauté, stirring frequently, until the orzo pasta is tender. Approximately 5 minutes.
7. Remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with lemon slices.

What Is Orzo?

Orzo may look like rice but it’s actually pasta! Orzo is a pasta made from white flour that’s cut short to resemble grains of rice. It’s common to see orzo pasta used in soups and pasta salads.

Lemon Chicken Soup

The star of this soup recipe is the lemon. Without the lemon this is a basic chicken noodle soup. On average,1 lemon will make 2 to 3  tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. I add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice to my soup. That’s my personal preference. 

What Cut Of Chicken To Use

Most people will probably use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this lemon chicken orzo soup recipe. Having said that, use your preferred cut of chicken whether it’s bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless. Thighs work well because dark meat in general tends to have more flavor and is less likely to overcook. Bone-in chicken breasts are a good alternative if you don’t want to use dark meat.  Whatever cut of chicken you use, cook the chicken until it shreds easily. 

A Healthier Version

Make this orzo soup recipe low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 compatible by substituting cauliflower rice for the orzo. If you do so, stir the riced cauliflower into the soup at the end of cook time like you would the pasta.

Storing & Freezing Leftover Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

If you have leftover lemon chicken orzo soup, you can store or freeze it for later use. Store leftover soup an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze leftover chicken soup, let the soup cool completely. Once cooled, add the soup to an air tight container or freezer-friendly plastic bag. Store the soup in your freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat frozen lemon chicken orzo soup you have two options. You can either thaw the soup overnight  in the refrigerator OR add the soup directly to the slow cooker or Instant Pot & thaw on the warm setting!

FAQs & Tips

• Don’t skip adding the lemon zest, it really does makes a difference.
• If you use skin-on or bone-in chicken, when the chicken noodle soup is done cooking the bones should slide out easily & the skin should pull right off.
• Use the ingredients that you have. For example, if you do not have oregano, use dried basil or another dried herb in it’s place. 
• I used a 6-quart slow cooker / Instant Pot for this recipe.

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup Recipes

• Creamy Chicken Gnocchi

• Chicken Noodle

• Caprese Chicken

• Chicken Zoodle

Crockpot lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

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Crockpot lemon chicken orzo soup is a citrus flavored soup chicken soup that’s easy to make. This fuss-free slow cooker version combines chicken breasts or thighs along with lemon juice and zest. Serve this lemon chicken orzo recipe year-round; it is comforting enough for cold winter nights but also light enough for sunny spring days.  Instructions to make this easy chicken soup in the Instant Pot are also included.

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon, sliced (garnish)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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.
2. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
3. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker along with the orzo pasta. Stir to mix.
4. Cover and cook an additional 15-30 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with lemon slices.

Instant Pot

1. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Once hot, add the add oil to the pot. Add onion, celery, and carrots & cook for a 3-5 minutes, until veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
2. Add the broth & water and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
3. Add chicken, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir to mix well.
4. Select manual setting, high pressure for 20 minutes. When cook time is done, quick-release the pressure.
5. Remove chicken from pressure cook and shred.
6. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Add chicken back into the pot along with the orzo. Cook on sauté, stirring frequently, until the orzo pasta is tender. Approximately 5 minutes.
7. Remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with lemon slices.

Notes

Cook time is calculate for the slow cooker

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 248
• Sugar: 2.8 g
• Sodium: 1029.7 mg
• Fat: 4.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 18.2 g
• Fiber: 1.8 g
• Protein: 32.6 g
• Cholesterol: 82.7 mg

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