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This Crockpot lemon chicken orzo soup recipe is really easy to throw together and comforting. It has juicy chicken, hearty vegetables, and pasta in a bright lemony broth!
You may also enjoy my Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo, this Chicken Marsala Orzo, or Boursin Orzo with Chicken.
Why you’ll love it
My stovetop Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is number one in my heart, but sometimes it’s easier to just throw everything in the Crockpot, set it and forget it, and warm up with less effort! This version predates my stovetop version by three years, so they’re a little different.
If you’re feeling under the weather, this Crockpot chicken and orzo soup is a good way to lift your spirits. The brightness of the lemon and fresh vegetables will perk you up and comfort you. This is no ordinary chicken soup, yet it’s made with simple, wholesome ingredients.
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts, then shredding them
- Carrots, celery, and garlic – the aromatic base of the soup
- Broth – I like using both chicken and vegetable broth for layers of flavor
- Seasoning – we’re using a combo of dried basil, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves
- Lemon – the star of this soup! Always use freshly squeezed.
- Parsley – it’s not just a garnish here and adds plenty of flavor
- Orzo – it’s a rice-shaped pasta that you can find easily in the dry pasta aisle
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is the Crockpot model I use.
- Mince garlic quickly with this garlic press, where you don’t even need to peel the cloves.
- This lemon saver is a cute way to store leftover lemon.
- Here’s my favorite cutting board for chopping the aromatics.
How to make Crockpot lemon chicken orzo soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
To your slow cooker, add everything except for the lemon juice, parsley, orzo, and salt & pepper. Cook on high or low depending on your preference. About half an hour before serving, remove the bay leaves, and shred the chicken.
Add in the lemon juice, parsley, and orzo to the Crockpot, and return the shredded chicken. Turn it up to high, and stir every so often so the orzo doesn’t stick. Once the pasta is cooked, season with salt & pepper to taste.
Pro tip
If you’re freezing the bulk of this or not eating leftovers right away, I recommend cooking the orzo separately and then adding it in when you’re ready to eat. That way, it won’t soak up the broth.
Substitutions and variations
- Readers like to stir in some spinach towards the end of the cooking time for some extra greens.
- The amount of lemon juice is just a guideline. Feel free to increase it to suit your tastes!
- You can swap with boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
What to serve with this soup
- Enjoy this soup with a slice of fresh crusty bread, Garlic Bread, or a dinner roll.
- For a salad, since this is a Greek-inspired chicken soup, you could serve it with this Avocado Greek Salad. Or try this Parmesan Arugula Salad for a really simple pairing!
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this chicken orzo soup in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- The pasta will absorb liquid over time, so add a splash of chicken broth when reheating over a low heat.
- I don’t recommend freezing this as-is because the texture of the orzo may change, but you could always add in cooked orzo separately after thawing.
If you made this slow cooker lemon chicken orzo soup, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made this or any S&L recipe.
Crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts
- 2 large carrots peeled & sliced
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups vegetable broth see note
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 bay leaves
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your slow cooker except for the lemon juice, parsley, orzo, and salt & pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- About 30 minutes prior to serving, remove the bay leaves and take the chicken out of the slow cooker. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and then add it back in, along with the lemon juice, parsley, and orzo. Crank the heat up to high. I recommend stirring every 10 minutes or so because the orzo may stick to the bottom of the slow cooker otherwise. Once the orzo is tender, season the soup with salt & pepper as needed and serve.
Notes
- I like to use a combo of chicken broth and vegetable broth to build more flavor, but you could always sub the vegetable broth for more chicken broth if you don’t have any. One 32 oz carton = 4 cups broth.
- You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat (I’d use 6 of them in this recipe and keep the cooking time the same). If you’re cooking this for the full 8 hours the chicken breasts may dry out a bit – you may want to considering using chicken thighs instead.
- If your chicken breasts are on the larger side and you’re cooking it for 6 hours on low, you may want to use an instant read meat thermometer to ensure they’re fully cooked.
- Want to make this on the stove? Try my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
- This is the 7 quart Crockpot I used to make this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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First time making this. The flavors were so good. I never would have thought to mix veggie broth with the chicken broth. I did not have bay leaves so I added some oregano as a substitute. Next time when I make it, I think I may use a little less chicken. But that’s just me. Can the orzo be cooked on the side in some chicken
Broth and just added in?
Hi Traci! You can definitely cook it on the side.
Love this soup ! Curious if it’s possible to add some heavy cream to make it more of a creamy base?? Thanks for all your amazing recipes!!
Thank you!! 😀 Sure, I think that would be great!
Not sure if I missed this in the instructions, but unless you want mushy mushy orzo and ruined left overs, don’t mix the orzo in to the entire soup. Made it on the side and add in as you eat it 🙂
Hi Cari! Yes – there’s a highlighted pro tip in the blog post that says exactly that. 🙂
I think this is the best thing I’ve ever made!! The lemon makes it!
Thanks so much, Sara!
I made this for a Crocktoberfest at the school I work at and everyone was asking for the recipe!
Love that!!! 😀
Chicken cooks right in the crock pot? Looks like a great soup! Thanks for sharing!
Yup! Enjoy!
I have a whole chicken that I already cooked and deboned and shredded, so can I just throw everything in the crock pot at the beginning and cook? How long should I cook it this way? Thank you.
Hi! I would only add already cooked chicken in during the last 30 minutes or so. You’re better off doing the stovetop version of the recipe and adding in the chicken during step 5. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3zTxuez
Added a few potatoes and onion. Tasted great
Excellent!
This was really good and easy! We followed the recipe as-is and it was delicious and comforting.
Next time to suit our family’s tastes, we’ll use low sodium broth and add salt as needed at the end, use a little bit less chicken (which all depends on the size of the breasts!) add an onion for more veggies and add more carrots and celery too to take the place of the chicken. We’ll also add a little more lemon because we love it! I’m looking forward to eating this for leftovers. Thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad it’s a hit!! Yes – definitely easy to tweak it. Thank you for your review, Susan!