Cold days are here, and if you’re looking for a soup that’s hearty and filling, then this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is just the right one. This dish is full of vegetables, protein, and fiber. Just right to keep you full and fueled. Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is definitely PURE COMFORT in a bowl!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup {Crock Pot} Recipe by Erin Clarke
This dish is a delicious chicken soup with pasta that is cooked right in your slow cooker. This easy crockpot soup is pure comfort food to warm you from the inside out on a chilly day. One of the best crockpot recipes to cure what ails you. Flu buster lemon orzo soup to the rescue!
Every bite of this soup will make you feel alive and nourished. It’s light, bright, and packed with veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. It will fill and warm you to your core, without weighing you down. The leftovers are just as tasty as the bowl you eat the day you make it.
It’s the sort of midday pick-me-up you’ll surely long for in the middle of a weekday, but it is hearty enough to satisfy me on a chilly evening. While this soup bears some resemblance to a classic chicken and noodle—lots of warm broth and chunks of juicy chicken—a few important additions make it taste extra special and unique.
Notable Characteristics of Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
A handful of fresh dill makes the soup herbaceous and lively. A generous squeeze of lemon juice wakes up the flavors and makes the soup incredibly refreshing and almost cleansing.
In case the vibrant flavors, feel-good ingredients, and homey comfort of this soup are not reason enough to make it, I am going to give you one more: SLOW COOKER. This is one of those magical crockpot recipes that require no pre-cooking of any sort. Simply dump the ingredients into your slow cooker, turn it on, then go about your business. In a few hours, you’ll have a hearty meal ready to serve.
Other recipes you might like to try: Vegan Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe, Sugar Free Ice Cream Bars Recipe, Homemade Keto Caesar Salad Recipe
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 pcs medium carrots peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 pcs medium stalks celery diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ pcs medium yellow onion medium yellow onion
- 3 pcs cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 7 cup Simple Truth Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 cup whole wheat orzo*
- 3 cup roughly chopped spinach loosely packed (about 3 ounces)
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the bottom, then season with salt and pepper. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and basil. Pour the chicken broth over the top.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes on high or 4 to 6 hours on low. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred or chop, then return to the slow cooker along with the orzo. Turn the heat to high and let cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the spinach, lemon juice, and dill. If you desire a thinner soup, add a bit of water or additional chicken broth. Cover and continue cooking on high for 5 additional minutes, just until the spinach wilts. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- *Please note that regular (white) orzo can cook more quickly than whole wheat orzo (how the recipe was tested), so if you decide to use white orzo instead, you may want to wait longer to add it or check it a bit early.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
SERVING: 1(of 6), about 2 heaping cups- CALORIES: 240kcal
- CARBOHYDRATES: 27g
- PROTEIN: 28g
- FAT: 3g
- SATURATED FAT: 1g
- CHOLESTEROL: 65mg
- SODIUM: 489mg
- FIBER: 3g
- SUGAR: 4g
