Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup is a delicious, simple dinner easily made in the instant pot or crockpot. Packed with veggies and paleo/whole30 friendly.
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This Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup recipe is one of my favorite winter meals. Packed with veggies and hearty portions of chicken, it’s super filling and loaded with light lemony flavor.
You can keep it paleo/whole30 by serving as is, or adding zucchini noodles. It’s also great with rice, orzo or quinoa!
Easily made in the instant pot, or in your crockpot, I promise this Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup will make you want to enjoy soup year round!
For me, there is nothing more comforting than cozy-ing up on the couch with a mug of soup. It’s delicious, and makes you feel all kinds of warm + fuzzy.
This Whole 30 Italian Wedding Soup was on repeat for a while, and I was really into it, but when I got the flu a few months ago – I wanted my favorite lemon chicken soup from the diner.
In my home town, we have a 24 hour Greek diner that makes the BEST lemon chicken soup. It was always a comfort food growing up (especially when I wasn’t feeling great.. it was the next best thing to homemade!)
Click here to pin this Instant Pot Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup recipe for later.
I often crave soup but don’t always have hours to spend over the stove. This healthy lemon chicken soup can be made in the crockpot or instant pot to save time and effort!
My favorite way to make it is in my instant pot. It is completely finished in under 30 minutes, and I think it really locks in all the flavor due to the pressure cooking!
Tyler and I have been making this healthy soup every couple of week ever since I first tried it and it’s become one of my favorite cozy meals this winter.
I know I’ll be making it all year round, but for now.. it’s the perfect dinner to have on for chilly nights. (It’s also great for storing in your freezer!) I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Can I make this Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup in the crockpot?
Yes! Instead of sautéing your veggies in the instant pot in step one of the recipe, sauté your celery, onion + garlic on the stove in a pan. Add sautéd veggies to the crockpot. Stir in carrots, halved lemons, lemon juice + spices.
Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables in crockpot. Cover with chicken broth. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Follow steps #6-9 in the recipe.
Can I add pasta to this Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup?
Yes! You can totally add orzo or noodles to this and it will be delicious. Cook the pasta separately and then add it to your soup once the soup is completely cooked. (Don’t try to add raw pasta in to the soup when it’s cooking.. it will turn to mush!)
If you add pasta it will not be gluten free, paleo or whole30.
If you’re looking for a whole30/paleo/gluten free noodle option I like adding zucchini noodles to this soup, although it’s delicious on it’s own!
Click here to pin this recipe for later.
Other healthy soup recipes:
- Paleo Butternut Squash Soup
- Whole30 Italian Wedding Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Taco Soup
- Vegan Pasta Fagioli
Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup celery, chopped finely
- 1 cup onion, chopped finely
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 cups carrots, sliced in small pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, or sprigs of thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (off to the side)
Optional:
- 1 cup cooked orzo or zucchini noodles
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Chop all vegetables (I prefer to put mine in the food processor!) Turn instant pot on sauté mode. Heat olive oil in the pan and sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Stir in carrots, spices (including bay leaves), and parmesan cheese rind.
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables in instant pot. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Cover instant pot and set to ‘Soup’ for 13 minutes
- Allow the soup to come to pressure and cook. Once finished, quick release the pressure.
- Remove bay leaves, and parmesan cheese rind (if used) from the broth and discard. Stir in lemon juice.
- Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Place chicken back in instant pot, and stir to combine.
- Optional: add in cooked orzo or zucchini noodles. Serve + enjoy!
Crockpot Instructions:
- In a pan, heat olive oil over stovetop. Sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add sautéd veggies to the crockpot. Stir in carrots, spices and parmesan cheese rind if using.
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables in crockpot. Cover with chicken broth. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Once cooked, remove bay leaves, and parmesan cheese rind (if used) from the broth and discard. Stir in lemon juice.
- Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Place chicken back in crockpot, and stir to combine.
- Optional: add in cooked orzo or zucchini noodles. Serve + enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Anna De Loache
This is my favorite soup of all time!! Thank you so much!
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you like it, Anna!! It’s one of my favorites too!
Elizabeth
Love this recipe! The lemon is so refreshing in the soup.
The Clean Eating Couple
Totally agree!! I’m glad you love it 🙂
Alyssa Maas
This recipe is amazing! It’s satisfying but light which makes it perfect if you are feeling under the weather. It’s so easy to make, I used my crockpot and am happy to have lots of leftovers for lunch. I thought I would want the orzo, but I used carrot noodles from Trader Joe’s and it’s rsally hearty as is!
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you like it!! I have to try that with the carrot noodles from Trader Joes – that’s such a good idea!!
Kate
This soup was so delicious! Made it in the crockpot! Deffinetly a favorite 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you liked it, Kate!!
Emily Waffird
I’m making this right now! I can not wait to try it! Question- I am a calorie tracker (and macro counter), and i know its 193kcal per serving, but can you tell me what a serving size is? Want to make sure I get to eat as much as i can, lol! I apologize if its listed somewhere on the post, I may have overlooked it. Thanks!
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi! The recipe serves six, so I’d portion it out in 6 even containers and that will help you! 🙂
Emily
You’re the best, thank you! It was delicious!!!
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Cailee
Should this have a bitter taste?
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Cailee – No it shouldn’t be bitter. I’m guessing this has to do with your lemons. Often when lemons are old they start to get a bitter taste! I’m sorry this happened to you 🙁
Tara
Mine was also bitter. I wonder if it would be better to add more lemon juice instead of having the actual lemons in there
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Tara- I actually went back and retested this recipe twice after Cailee mentioned it was bitter. I didn’t have a problem either time! I truly think it is because of the lemons, but you can try just adding the juice instead of the actual lemon!