This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Amazing!
Thank you!!
Sounds good can’t wait to try it 🤩
Enjoy! 🙂
I’m making this for the second time today. I really love the flavor with the lemon! I left out the chicken this time to make it “vegetarian” (even though I did use chicken broth) and added an onion for more veg. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome!! 😀
It had a great flavor but the recipe calls for 4 chicken breasts. I only did three but shredded only two and even that was way too much chicken. It overpowered it made the orzo carrots and celery look lost If the chicken breasts you have are good sized I would do two,shred them and add amount you like. Thats what I plan on doing next time. Thank you
Sounds amazing for our sick household! Can I use bouillon to make the chicken broth? If so how many cubes?
Hi Lauren! I don’t know which variety of bouillon you’re using or the size of the cubes, so I would definitely refer to their website or instructions on the package. But yes you can definitely make this soup using water and bouillon. Hope you enjoy it!
Would it be feasible to put rice instead of the orzo?
Hi! You could try for sure. Not sure exactly on cooking time so you may want to keep an eye on it.
I found this recipe while I was sick and knew it would hit the spot. So delicious! I used frozen chicken and it didn’t seem to affect the cooking time. The orzo has soaked up most of the broth now (on day two) but it’s delicious and tastes even better than it did yesterday. Also added half an onion!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nakita! Thanks for writing me a review. XO
What if i used frozen chicken?
Hi! I’d probably thaw it first. If you do use it frozen, just make sure it’s cooked properly (165F).
Wow love the lemon taste, used chicken thighs and added fresh spinach!! Will be making it again!😃
Excellent!! 🙂
Epic fail. Followed instructions but had to add 4 cups of liquid. Used it as topping over broccoli. Waste of time money and food.
Sorry to hear that! 🙁