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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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Can you freeze this with the orzo already in it
Hi Maura! I wouldn’t recommend it (it’ll be a little mushy).
This is a feel-good , yummy soup,,,,
I sprinkled With Parmesan cheese and chopped spring onions right before serving ,,,
Guests loved it,,, so did the fam,,
That’s great to hear!! So glad everyone enjoyed it, Rhonda. Thanks for leaving a comment! And spring onions and parmesan sound like fabulous additions! 🙂
Lovely recipe, perfect for autumn! Have to try the recipe!
Thank you!! I hope you love it.
Hi! Recipe looks great – I’m making it now. If I wanted to cook on high instead, do u think it would be the same? And maybe 4 or 6 hrs on high?
Thank you!
Thanks, Alison!! I would give it between 3 and 4 hours on high, but just make sure to double check the chicken is properly cooked through when you go to shred it. Hope you love the recipe!
Going to try this one for sure.
Hope you enjoy it! 🙂 Have a great weekend.
After all the candy I ate last night, and with the weather finally cooling down, I’ve gotta make this!
Thanks, Matt!! It definitely will make you feel a little healthier hehe.
I’m making this soup this week!
Hope you enjoy it, Jennifer! 🙂
Perfect healthy bowl of soup after all the Halloween indulging Natasha! I just broke out my CrockPot the other day to make some soup. I’ll need to try your recipe. It looks delicious!
Thank you 🙂 Let me know if you try it!! Happy Halloween!
Love a good chicken soup recipe and anything in the crockpot sign me up!
Thanks so much, Leigh Ann! Yup, love the ease of slow cooker recipes! 🙂
LOVE ORZO!
Thanks!
Will 8 hours in the crock pot dry out the chicken. This has happened to me before.
Hi Ann! If you’re worried about that happening, then I suggest you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Those tend to retain their moisture better during slow cooking. I find chicken breasts to be dryer in general, but I know a lot of people prefer the white meat… so when I come up with these Crockpot recipes, it’s a bit of I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t. 🙂 With that said, I didn’t find the chicken in here to be overly dry. You could also cook it for less than 8 hours (I’d aim for 5-6 hours), but I would just make sure you check to ensure the chicken is fully cooked when you go to shred it.