Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe is a delicious dinner. Easy to make in the instant pot, crock pot or on the stove. Lemony and healthy!
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This Healthy Lemon Chicken Soup recipe is one of my favorite meals. Packed with veggies and hearty portions of chicken, it’s super filling and loaded with light lemony flavor.
This Greek Lemon Soup is delicious with rice, orzo, pasta, or quinoa! It’s not a traditional avgolemono soup, but it’s just as delicious!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: You can make this in the crockpot, instant pot or on the stovetop.
- Loaded with flavor: The fresh lemon juice adds a TON of flavor to this soup.
- Customizable: You can make this with pasta, zoodles, add more veggies, or use precooked chicken – the options are endless!
Easily made in the instant pot or in your crockpot, I promise this Greek Lemon Soup will make you want to enjoy soup year round! We are huge soup fans in our house, but this is one I make over and over again!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need a few pantry/fridge staples to make Lemon Chicken Soup. You probably already have them on hand!
- garlic, carrots, onions, celery
- olive oil
- chicken breasts
- spices (bay leaves, salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried parsley)
- chicken stock or chicken broth
- lemon juice
- pasta
A citrus juicer will also be helpful to have! You can find all the substitutions for this post in the green shaded box below.
How To Make Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
You can make this soup in the instant pot or crockpot. Here is how to make it in the instant pot, although making it on the stove or in the crockpot is very similar!
- Sauté onions/celery, garlic until translucent.
- Add in carrots/spices.
- Lay chicken on top of veggie mixture. Add chicken broth.
- Cover the instant pot and cook per the directions below.
- While the soup cooks, cook your pasta.
- Remove & discard bay leaves. Remove chicken, shred the chicken, and add back to the soup.
- Add lemon juice and stir together.
SO delicious and easy.
Recipe FAQs
You can add richness to chicken soup by starting with a great chicken broth or stock. The best broth is bone broth for soups because it is so rich and flavorful. Herbs, spices, and a parmesan cheese rind can also add richness to chicken soup.
Yes, you can put raw chicken directly into soup. If you are going to be boiling the soup or cooking it for an extended period it’s totally fine to put raw chicken into it. Chicken breasts need to cook for at least 15 minutes. I’d cook them for at least 30 in a soup.
What cut of chicken is best for soup? Boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs are the best cut of chicken for soup. Chicken breasts are lower in fat and higher in protein while chicken thighs are higher in fat.
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, fresh 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. You can also make it on the stove! This is all outlined in the recipe below.
Recipe Substitutions
This soup is SUPER easy to make substitutions. Use whatever you have on hand to make it!
Olive Oil: You can substitute olive oil with avocado oil or melted butter.
Herbs: You can use most herbs interchangeably here. If you don’t have thyme or parsley, use rosemary or dried basil. Any of them will be delicious! You can also use dried or fresh herbs. The recipe calls for dried herbs, but if you’d like to use fresh herbs double the amount.
Pasta: We recommend cooking the pasta separately and then adding it to your soup once the soup is completely cooked. (Don’t try to add raw pasta into the soup when it’s cooking.. it will turn to mush!) Gluten free pasta will work just fine. Quinoa, rice, or cous cous will also be delicious! We also have Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken Tortellini Soup recipes that are great!
Zoodles: If you’re looking for a whole30/paleo/gluten free noodle option I like adding zucchini noodles to this soup.
Cauliflower Rice: Cauliflower rice is a great low carb addition to this soup instead of pasta or in addition to pasta!
Chicken: You can make this using chicken tenders or chicken thighs if you prefer. You can also use pre cooked/shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken! If you love your crockpot, this Crockpot Chicken Stew is our favorite!
Leftover Chicken: You can use this instant pot shredded chicken, slow cooker shredded chicken, or chicken from a rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken. Cut the cook time in half if you’re not using raw chicken. You could also try this Rotisserie Chicken Soup!
Spinach: You can add a couple of cups of chopped spinach when the soup is finished cooking. It’s a delicious addition!
Broth: Any broth will work in this. You can use beef broth, chicken stock or vegetable stock.
Vegetarian: You could substitute beans for chicken in this recipe and it would be delicious. You’d also need to sub for vegetarian broth.
Creamy Chicken Soup: I have not tried making this chicken soup creamy. I worry that adding milk with lemon will make it curdle. Try at your own risk.
Parmesan Cheese: Add a parmesan cheese rind with the soup while it’s cooking – it adds so much flavor! You can also top with parmesan or feta.
Extra Veggies: I like to add cauliflower rice, frozen green beans or extra carrots to this recipe. You can also try this Chicken Vegetable Soup!
How To Serve This Recipe
You can make lemon chicken soup with any pasta you like or zucchini noodles. My tip is to keep either the pasta or zoodles separate until you’re ready to serve.
Zoodles: I like to serve this soup with zucchini noodles. I will squeeze the zoodles with a paper towel and trim them so they’re in smaller pieces. It’s delicious + extra veggies.
You can also serve this recipe with cooked pasta (pastina, ditalini, orzo, etc) rice, quinoa, cous cous, or farro!
The soup is also fine without any of those additions. If you do choose to add pasta or zucchini noodles, I do NOT recommend adding either directly to the pot. Rather, add your serving of pasta or zoodles to your soup bowl, pour the soup over it, and stir.
This will help you avoid soggy noodles or pasta!
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Storing: This soup keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing this soup: This soup freezes very well and will last for months in the freezer! We like these containers for freezing.
I do not recommend freezing or refrigerating it with zucchini noodles or pasta as they will get mushy. Check out this post on How to Freeze Soup.
Reheating: When you’re ready to eat, defrost the night before in the refrigerator. You can also heat in the microwave or on the stove directly from frozen.
For storing: This soup keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
We love making healthy soups for dinner. They’re an easy, light dinner that everyone loves! You can get our free Healthy Soup Ebook here.
Make sure to check out these 35+ Healthy Soup Recipes. Here are some other healthy soup recipes you may like:
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup celery chopped finely
- 1 cup onion chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, about 5 cloves
- 2 cups carrots sliced in small circles
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken broth low or no salt (1.5 quarts)
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (off to the side)
- 1 cup dry orzo or other pasta sub zoodles or GF pasta
Instructions
StoveTop Instructions
- Chop all vegetables (I prefer to put mine in the food processor!) In a large pot, heat olive oil in the pan and sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened (about 5-10 minutes)
- Once cooked, stir in carrots and spices (including bay leaves).
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer over low-medium heat for 45 minute to an hour.
- While the soup cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta per the directions.
- After one hour, remove bay leaves from the chicken broth and discard. Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Add shredded chicken, lemon juice and cooked pasta or zoodles to the pot. Stir to combine and enjoy!
- Pro Tip: To avoid soggy pasta/noodles: Add cooked orzo or zucchini noodles to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the zoodles/pasta. This prevents the pasta/noodles from absorbing chicken broth and turning mushy
Crockpot Instructions:
- In a pan, heat olive oil over stovetop. Sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Add sautéd veggies to the crockpot. Stir in carrots and spices.
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables in crockpot. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours
- While the soup cooks bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta per the directions.
- Remove bay leaves from the broth and discard. Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Add shredded chicken, lemon juice and cooked pasta or zoodles to the pot. Stir to combine and enjoy!
- Pro Tip: To avoid soggy pasta/noodles: Add cooked orzo or zucchini noodles to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the zoodles/pasta. This prevents the pasta/noodles from absorbing broth and turning mushy
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Chop all vegetables. Set instant pot to Sauté mode for 10 minutes
- Heat olive oil in the pan and sauté celery, onion + garlic until fragrant and softened.
- Once cooked, stir in carrots and spices.
- Place whole chicken breasts on top of vegetables/spices in instant pot. Cover with chicken broth. Do not add lemon juice to the pot.
- Cover instant pot and set to sealing, ‘Soup’ OR Pressure Cook for 12 minutes.
- Allow the soup to come to pressure and cook. It should take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, but can take longer if your broth is cold.
- While the soup cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta per the directions.
- Once the soup has cooked, quick release the pressure.
- Remove bay leaves from the broth and discard. Remove chicken from the pot + shred on a cutting board with forks or in a mixer.
- Add shredded chicken, lemon juice and cooked pasta or zoodles to the pot. Stir to combine and enjoy!
- Pro Tip: To avoid soggy pasta/noodles: Add cooked orzo or zucchini noodles to a bowl. Serve soup on top of the zoodles/pasta. This prevents the pasta/noodles from absorbing broth and turning mushy
Video
Notes
- Pasta – You can add orzo or pasta 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.
- Parmesan Cheese – I recommend tossing in a parmesan cheese rind with the soup while it’s cooking – it adds so much flavor!
- Broth – Any broth will work in this. You can use bone broth, chicken stock, vegetable stock, etc.
- Vegetarian – You could substitute beans for chicken in this recipe and it would be delicious. You’d also need to sub for vegetarian broth.
Xta says
This is my new favorite soup! So unbelievably easy and so delicious, the lemon really gives it a great flavor. I put raw zoodles in that I mixed with a little salt and lemon zest. Thanks for this recipe!
Melissa says
Yum! I added kale and jalapeño just because I had some in my fridge that needed to be cooked. This recipe is awesome.
Melisse says
This soup is amazing!! I think I’m going to try my hand at canning it, minus the pasta and lemon juice, which I will just add when the soup is eaten. Been wanting to find a good soup recipe to put on my shelves during flu season and this one is yummy!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it! Please make sure to do your research on whether this is canning safe – I’m not sure if it is!
Patricia A Habbyshaw says
Hi and Thank You So Much for this Wonderful Recipe !
I am now making this for a 3rd time !!!
SOOOO Good ! My Soup Buddy (my 86 yr old neighbor), and I Love It !!!
I used my pressure canned chicken broth and fresh veggies.
I want to try it with my dehydrated veggies but not today !
I do have a question…
If I double the recipe, do I need to adjust the pressure cooking time ?
Oh, I, also, browned my chicken legs and it really enriched the flavor !
Thank You Again and I await your reply…I’m making it today !!! :}
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi! I’m sorry but I don’t know how doubling the recipe will affect the cook time in the pressure cooker. I haven’t tried this so I can’t be sure.
Laurie says
This is exactly what I needed today! Thank you for the super easy and delicious soup. I’ve been sick for over a week and was craving homemade chicken soup. I didn’t have celery or fresh onion on hand, so I added extra carrot and dried minced onion and it still turned out wonderfully. Will definitely be saving the recipe to use again!
Joe Frady says
My wife is very sick I made this for her tonight for dinner it was absolutely delicious thank you so much for sharing this recipe I will definitely make this again
Sally says
Who would think that a comfort food like chicken soup could also be so refreshing?! This is an easy, wonderful recipe and is now my go-to chicken soup! The lemony deliciousness comes through even when reheated!
Debbie Ann Fairlie says
Didn’t even make it to putting the lemon juice in, added cooked rice instead of pasta and it was the best chicken soup I’ve ever made. Thank you so much
Cheryl says
Very yummy and so easy in the instapot.
I even used frozen chicken breast and cooked it a touch longer.
Kyla says
Instructions for frozen breasts
The Clean Eating Couple says
Next time ‘please’ would be nice 🙂 We don’t have instructions for cooking with frozen chicken breasts because we don’t recommend it. Cooking frozen meat is a food safety issue because you don’t know if it is cooked in the center. It’s something I never do and never recommend.
Lucia Wattrick says
I made this soup last night – SUPER EASY and DELICIOUS! (I decided to add mushrooms because I had them in the fridge.)
What I liked most is that it’s a one pot recipe and can be prepared ahead of time. Thank you for the recipe – will definitely make it again!
Gail Hissom says
I made this for a late night family dinner, as I needed something light due to the time of evening we were eating. It was delicious and everyone loved it! Definitely keeping in my recipe file to make again!
Unspecified says
Lemon not listed in ingredients or method! It’s supposed to be chicken LEMON soup!!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Lemon is clearly listed in the ingredients and in the method. please read again 🙂 have a wonderful day you seem like a real peach!
Dani says
Love this soup so much! I usually swap out black pepper for Lemon Pepper and up it a bit (3/4 tsp instead of 1/2 if I had to guess) and serve it with Jovial’s cassava orzo – so so good!
Donna D. Baumann says
Made this today and my husband LOVED it! He loved the lemon in it especially. Will definitely add this to my rotation. It was a nasty day weather wise here and the soup just fit the bill!
Cindy says
What makes it Greek? Only the title says Greek.
The Clean Eating Couple says
traditionally greek chicken soup has lemon added to it
Cindy Sanders says
I am so happy!! I made this and it was the best soup EVER!! I couldn’t remember where I got it! Thank you for sending it out again! Making it tonight!!
Lauren Blankenship says
100% YUMMY!!! Made this soup last week – it’s OUTSTANDING!!! As it was just for me, I downloaded the recipe for “3” – but I ate it all by EOD, LOL, so I’m making double this amount today!
This soup is soooo healthy and yummy – not too salty like most soup recipes – and the lemon makes it extra delish!! I use rotini noodles, which work great!
Anita says
People who don’t like soup love this recipe!! I added ginger, and spinach to mine. Insanely good!!
Laurie says
I used rotisserie chicken and swapped out the pasta for cauliflower rice to keep the soup low carb. It is delicious!
BETH says
HOW DO I SAVE THIS RECIPE ON MY COMPUTER IN PINTREST – JUST NEED ABILITY TO DO THIS
The Clean Eating Couple says
click the P pin it button on the top of the page or you can click here to pin it for later
Brad Allison says
I made the chicken in the instant pot as it was frozen, but 40 minutes later it is easy to shred and add to this soup. This is a great recipe. Very light and good for a cool winter’s night. I took the box of orzo suggestion and only cooked it for 6 minutes as adding it to the soup further cooks the pasta. But all in all, this is a great and healthy soup that only added 3 points to WW
Michi G says
This was delicious. Thank you for the simple recipe. I just added potatoes, stirred in some egg, and had leftover rotisserie chicken. The egg gives it a creamy texture which is nice. Besides that I followed the recipe as written. Whipped up a good ole pot of soup within 20 minutes because of the already cooked chicken.
Will definitely make again.
Leslie says
This soup is absolutely delicious! So easy to make – with ingredients we usually have on hand. This was a last-minute dinner decision, used the instant pot instructions, and it was so perfect! My 8-year-old daughter, after her first bite said, “it’s so good, can you make this again sometime!” And then she gobbled her bowl within 5 minutes, lol. *I used white rice instead of pasta or zoodles. I didn’t have bay leaves, so added oregano/basil/rosemary.
Carrie says
Made this for first time and it’s delicious ! Good
For the heart and soul!