This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
This slow cooker soup is perfect for those days that you want a delicious dinner ready with minimal effort.
I've got this Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup slowly simmering away, as we speak, and the aroma wafting through the house is incredible. After perfecting the recipe a few weeks ago, I could hardly wait to make it again.
If you read our last post, you know that we traveled to London early last week to spend some time with our daughter, son-in-law and their four children, Annie, Ellie, Lilly and Luke. On Friday, we packed up the little ones, got on a plane and headed to France, where we're spending a week together in Samoëns, smack dab in the middle of the French Alps.
Although we arrived here in Samoëns after dark, glimpses of the little village brought back lots of fun memories, because we vacationed in this very same place four years ago. Nevertheless, I wasn't prepared for the spectacular view when I pulled open the curtains this morning!
Despite gray cloudy skies, the views in every direction are magnificent! Scott and I ventured out early with little Luke in the stroller. We noted a few new sights in town but, for the most part, Samoens looks just like we left it; quaint, charming and giving you the feeling that you've taken a step back in time.
We were eager to return to our favorite Boulangerie (French for bakery) and hoped it would be as as wonderful as we remembered. Seeing a long line inside the shop and spilling out the door at an early hour was a good sign.
When we noted happy customers exiting with breads of all shapes, sizes and varieties tucked under their arms, carrying bags with flaky pastries peeking out, we were confident that things hadn't changed much. Lukey and I did a little taste test which revealed we were correct indeed!
A little later this morning, Cait and I ran to the local market and picked up groceries for the week. This is where Slow Cooker Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup comes in...
Carrots, onions and celery were on the list along with chicken, stock and fresh herbs.
Oh, and lemons. That's what makes this soup deliciously unique, a splash of fresh lemon juice adds a bright finishing touch to this soup, that's loaded with old fashioned flavor. I had brought some orzo pasta along from home so we were good to go.
When Cait, Josh and the girls headed up the mountain to ski, it didn't take me long to get the soup going. A bit of chopping and the rest was super simple.
By the time they returned home, dinner was well on the way, exuding an incredibly delicious aroma. It's the kind of soup that both kids and grown ups seem to love; and it's wonderful for quick, easy meals on the run.
So whether you're needing a perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day or just a nourishing, delicious soup to enjoy for lunches, casual dinners and meals on the go, pull out your slow cooker and simply combine everything on the list. Super basic ingredients are magically melded together over the hours and your home will waft the same amazing aroma I'm smelling here in my little home-away-from-home in the French Alps. Bon Appetit!
Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox
We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.
Slow Cooker Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the soup:
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ medium onion, finely diced
- 1 pound carrots, peeled,and thinly sliced
- 4 medium stalks celery, diced small
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Ingredients for finishing:
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- finely grated zest of one medium size lemon
- Juice of 1 medium size lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Combine all soup ingredients (first 11 ingredients) in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cook on medium for 6-8 hours or until chicken and carrots are super tender or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken breasts and allow them to cool. When cooled, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Dice the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- While chicken is cooling, add pasta to soup and increase heat level to high (if cooking soup on low). Cook for 20-25 minutes more or until pasta is tender.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme and diced chicken. Stir to combine. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Serve and enjoy. Soup stores well for 3-4 days in airtight containers in refrigerator. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave.
Notes
12 generous servings
Nutrition
Shop Our Café Loves
We’ve gathered our favorite kitchen tools, tableware, and entertaining treasures in one place, the Café Loves store. It’s a wonderful spot to find something special for yourself or the cooks and hosts you love!
Hi Chris,
Do you think I could make this in my IP and if so, what would your changes, etc, be?
Many thanks for any suggestions you can give me; they will be greatly appreciated.
Susan
I just made this soup, however I could not fit all of the chicken broth! 24 Cups = 192oz. I could only fit 96oz! I followed the recipe, 12 Celery, 3 pounds of carrots, etc. I have the biggest Crock-pot (7 Quart). So, it is cooking now, but I am not sure how this is going to turn out, as It is full to the top! I still need to add the pasta, lemon & other seasonings. What did I do wrong?
Hi Christy, the recipe calls for 8 cups of chicken broth, 1 pound of carrots…. I wonder if you somehow clicked on the double or triple button.
Hi Chris, I had just looked at the recipe again, before you replied back. OMG! That is exactly what I did (on accident)! As my Mother would always say, "Pay attention, there will be a test"! So, I just put some in a pot on the stove, and added more broth for the 3x's recipe! I guess my husband & I will have "Soup for days"! I will have to freeze some, since it is just the two of us! Thank You for your reply! I'll let you know how it turned out......
This has a strange funky flavor. Maybe it’s be and my taste buds but I had to doctor it 3/4 of the way through for it to be even somewhat ok.
So strange, Michelle. I'm sorry this didn't work for you as so many others have loved it. I wonder if one of your ingredients was not fresh?? The broth or the chicken or something else?? No one else has reported a strange flavor.
Professional chef who is addicted to recipes. Rarely follow them…use them more as inspiration and when I don’t feel much inspiration.
Love soups even when it’s 95 and humid! I made this as directed. Lovely flavor…lemon always works with a vegetable or chicken stock/broth.
I made some simple changes. Used half stock and half broth. I ended up adding another 4 cups of liquid because I like my chicken soups on the brothy side. I decreased the orzo to 3/4 cup.. I would have kept it at a cup if I was boiling it separately. Added more salt and pepper and a sprinkle of celery seed.
Thanks for the review, Lisa!
Hi
Would love to try this ..
But was wondering could I use bottle lemon ?
Hi Leslie, fresh lemon juice is best but in a pinch, bottled lemon juice will work!
I want to make this soup for our choir before they sing our church's Christmas Cantata but one of the members has a poultry allergy. Could I use a good vegetable broth or stock & cook the chicken separately & add it after I pull some of the soup out for the person who has a poultry allergy?
Hi Bev, that sounds like a wonderful evening!
Regarding your question, this soup gets so much of its flavor from the chicken slowly cooking in the broth that I'm afraid it might be quite bland without it. It might be better to make another soup for that one person with out chicken and this one for the rest of the group.
chris--i don't have a slow cooker. is it a difficult transition to make on the stovetop or perhaps just a random sentence to help me. it sounds so lovely especially the lemon which i think is the magic elixir for almost everything. thank you!
Hi Wendy, this could definitely be made on the stovetop. I would sauté the ononi and garlic in a bit of oil and then proceed from there. Bring everything to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer and cook until the chiken is cooked through, probably 30-40 minutes, covered.
Do you have the nutritional info (macros for this recipe)?
Many thanks!
Hi Mona, this is one of our older recipes so it didn't have the nutritional info but I have added it. Enjoy!
Hi Chris,
This is probably a dumb question but, once the soup is finished cooking and you remove the chicken breasts, you must need to remove the skin and bones, and shred or dice the chicken. Correct? Sounds delicious!
Thanks!
Yes, that is correct! Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve made this several times and it’s delicious. Definitely a keeper
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Debbie!
This was warm and cozy and perfect with just the right amount of lemon. My picky 4 year old , who never finishes anything, asked for thirds! Thanks for making me a proud mama and hit in the kitchen!
I love that, Liz! Thanks so much for sharing your results and this cute story!
I've made this multiple times and we LOVE it!! I admit to being a shredder not a dicer. LOL Something I never put any thought to before is, how many pounds of meat do you mean by two chicken breasts? Organic breasts are smaller than factory farm breasts. It's never been a question for me before as I'm not a big meat eater and have ever only used a single breast. Tomorrow, I'll be making this soup for others and want to be sure to have enough meat. I know how ever much meat I use, it will be great. Just something to think about with chicken recipes.
Thank you for a delightful recipe!!!!
Hi Shelly, an average chicken breast with the skin and bones is about a pound or a little more. You're right, there is a huge variance though. If you have two pounds of (skin-on, bone-in) chicken breast, you should be fine.
This soup has a beautiful burst of flavor! The blend of spice along with the lemon is wonderful. As with all your recipes I’ve tried, I didn’t change a thing & it was perfect.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Kathy! Thanks so much for sharing your results!
Is the rosemary supposed to be fresh or dried? The thyme specifies that it is fresh, but not the rosemary : (
Thanks, Kris, for noticing that. It should be fresh rosemary. I've updated the recipe. Enjoy!
I'm so happy I found your website, and this recipe in particular! My entire family loved it, and it turned out perfectly. I will definitely be visiting again and trying more of your recipes. I also really enjoyed reading your "about" section and learning more about your family and faith. It's very inspiring!
Thanks so much, Heidi and welcome to The Café! I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup. Thanks for your kind words.
I gotta say I didn’t love this recipe. Chicken cooked in a slow cooker tends to shred rather than dice. Shredded chicken was not a compliment to this soup. Also, I used two large bone-in chicken breasts with skin and there was WAY too much chicken and a small bone went undetected and ended up in my bowl. . This recipe won’t be making it into my regular rotation without some major alterations.
Thanks for sharing your opinion, Barbi.
I use boneless breasts and it works out great. Let your chicken cooler a little longer to help with dicing. I love this soup so much I’m serving it tonight and I always have people ask me for the recipe. #nohate #justlove #whycomebackandcomplain
Haha! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your results!
f.y.i. I always roast my chicken, cook my orzo, adding both to the BOWL that is being served immediately. I never cook any of my meats in a water base, no matter what it is.
Can this soup be frozen after cooking
Yes, it can.
Can I freeze this soup also?
Yes, you definitely can!
Ii was going to make this for my work soup off but I was wondering if I could use a rotisserie chicken? And if I can how should I make this soup ? Please help
Hi Becky, I do have lots of soup recipes that call for rotisserie chicken but I'm afraid you would lose a lot of the flavor with this one if you don't use the skin-on bone-in chicken breasts. The depth of flavor of the broth comes from a nice long simmer with the chicken breasts.
That being said, you could pull the meat off of the rotisserie chicken, simmer the skin and carcass and then strain the broth and proceed with the rest of the recipe. It would take less time for cooking the soup itself but it would be more work.
instead of orzo could I make extra wide egg noodles? Would you cook them separate?
You could use wide egg noodles. I would definitely cook them separately. Enjoy!
Did you use fresh rosemary? I can tell from your pictures you used fresh thyme. I made this today. It came out pretty well. I used both fresh rosemary and thyme, but I didn't use as much rosemary as you called for. I am going to have to add more broth as there is not enough after cooking. (There would not have been enough room in my 5 qt. crockpot at the beginning anyway.) My husband liked it. I'll see what my teenager thinks tonight!
This sounds delicious and I'm excited to try it. Could I use boneless/skinless chicken breasts instead? Or do the skin and bones add lots of flavor when it cooks? Just thinking the time to shred would be shorter that way and I'm always trying to save any amount of time when I get home from work!
Hi Rachel,
In this particular recipe, I think the skin and bones do keep the chicken moist and add flavor. I love boneless skinless breasts (and I'm always looking for ways to make less work) but I don't think they would do as well in this soup.
I made a double recipe for PEO Sisterhood chapter fundraiser. All the items were purchased in a matter of minutes.
Amazing soup! I made this for my boyfriend's mum after she returned from traveling and had a bit of an upset tummy. It was a hit around the table! Thank you!
Thanks so much Rosie, for taking the time to let us know. So happy you all enjoyed it!
This looks delicious, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why the chicken has to come out and cool down.
Great question Jessie! Simply so it's cool enough for you to handle when you shred it.
What a spectacular view, it's like something out of a movie! You have a knack for combining simple ingredients into an amazing meal.
Even though we're back in London Sandra, Scott and I are still replaying the sights and experiences in our heads! So fun!
I love lemon orzo soup and this is just what I'm craving on a rainy and blustery day!
Well enjoy it Laura!
We love to cook when we're on holiday, too! What a picturesque locale and a wonderful time to be with your dear family! Your soup looks fabulous.
Thanks Liz! It just really seems to bring everybody together, doesn't it?
This just took my breath away. and though the soup looks great, I think it was the beauty of the village and the mountains and the minions!
Ha Ha Abbe! They are a little troop of minions - very lovable and adorable!
Oh! How perfect to be enjoying this soup with the French Alps as a backdrop 🙂 Love that this is slow-cooked, too!
It was great to have on hand all week, and a good thing for the couple of family that got a tummy bug. It helped nurse them back to health.
What a fabulous trip Chris! We're having snow today but it doesn't look like this! The soup would be pretty wonderful on a day like today - it looks perfect. Have a great time! Sharing
Thanks Tricia!
Hi Chris! Your soup loves lovely. I was just wondering if there is a particular brand of chicken stock that you are partial to? I have yet to find one that gives me the robust flavor I am looking for.
Hi Donna! I really like the organic chicken stock from Aldi, but really, no chicken stock is real robust without adding a few additional ingredients.
Beautiful mountains, delicious baked goods, family and the opportunity to enjoy God's creation amd the aroma of hot soup....it doesn't get much better than this!!
So true Carol! His handiwork is visible every where we go up here!
I remember lemon soup from my first visit to Salzburg years ago and your soup brings back great memories for me. I'm eager to give this a try - it's gorgeous!
Thanks Maureen! It's so hearty and delicious for cold winter days, or any time!
This looks so incredibly good. I'm making it for my and my friend next weekend for sure!
It's just so flavorful, we're really enjoying it up here!
You and Scott are gems to take 4 young children off to France for a four day outing allowing your daughter and son-in-law to have some time to themselves. How lovely and a trip I'm sure all will remember.
I love your soup recipe and wish I had seen it yesterday. I'm making some sort of chicken this evening but haven't figured out what yet and this would have been ideal Too late to start it now. I always forget to use the slow cooker but how perfect when we are all running in twenty different directions. I've printed it and will hopefully try it this week.
Thanks Vicki! Actually, the whole crew is down here - 4 adults and 4 minions! And we love them all! Lots of crazy, silly, exciting adventures!
Fun for YOU to go to a chilly little place..looks breathtaking..Cait♥
And i'll have what you are having:)
The soup also looks delish!
It is Monique! Thanks for coming with us!
What a beautiful village! And the soup...totally delicious and satisfying with lemon and orzo.
It's a really body and soul warmer Angie!
I am making a note of this place, for when I have a chance to go back to France. It looks magical. I would be powerless inside that boulangerie and would leave with quite an assortment (too dangerous).
The soup will go on the menu next week, something to look forward to. I imagine orzo is hard to find in Europe, since you had to bring it from home? Seems like such a staple here, but apparently it is not available everywhere.
Thanks for your wonderful comment Mila. I didn't want to take the chance of not having it, since this is a pretty small French village, so I brought it along. Yes, the boulangeries are calling our names every day! So hard to resist; and the one in the picture is our absolute favorite! People line up right out the door each morning!
Just wondering if you took along your KitchenAid crockpot too. Im sure they are not standard issue in French village rental homes. Just wondering. Looks like the perfect ares ski soup. Love the photos too. Keep 'em coming. They're as wonderful as the recipes.
Haha Susan! I have been known to drag everything but the kitchen sink when we travel, but no, I didn't bring my slow cooker along. The kitchen here is adequate but not great so I had to improvise the recipe a bit. I actually simmered it super slowly on the stovetop 🙂
Ha Ha! Good observations Susan! I made my first test batches of this before we left North Carolina and Scott shot pictures then. The day after we arrived in Samoens, we made another batch for our little crew of grands! They are loving it!
I just returned from La Farm this morning. Our little local NC taste of France. I'm sure it doesn't compare to your morning, though. What a dreamy view!
This is one of my all time favorite soups. I'm excited to try it!
And so handy to have around Kristin! We have two large containers in the fridge right now, for cold little skier bodies to gobble up when they come down from the slopes!
What awesome photos! You're making me want to be there!
Thanks Gwen! It truly is a gorgeous place, and very family friendly!
I'm mesmerized by that gorgeous frosty village, and warmed by your wonderful soup --- have a ball Chris!
Thanks Sue! It's like a little story book village. Some of the center parts of the city were from the middle ages!