Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Slow cooker lemon chicken orzo soup is a quick and easy comfort meal. Tender chicken, asparagus, carrots, orzo, and cannellini beans in a creamy lemon broth. This dump and go recipe couldn’t be easier, the chicken breast cooks in the broth keeping it tender and keeping dishes to a minimum. The starch in the orzo adds just enough thickness to the broth and a splash of cream make this super rich.

Fresh carrots and asparagus add a pop of color and texture, adding in the asparagus last keeps it slightly crisp. Fresh lemon juice and zest add even more flavor. Serve with warm crusty bread and top with grated parmesan! This easy soup is on constant rotation during the cooler months, it’s a great way to clean out some leftover ingredients. A nice change to classic chicken noodle soup.

Highlights of this hearty soup:

• Easy slow cooker recipe
• Customizable
• Recipe the whole family will love
• Perfect hearty soup for colder weather
• Good way to incorporate veggies
• Healthy ingredients

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 4-6

If you like this Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup, you’ll love these other easy recipes….

Simple One-Pot Black Bean Soup

Easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

One-Pot Lasagna Soup

Hearty One-Pot Lentil Chili

Topping ideas:

• Fresh grated or shredded parmesan cheese
• Fresh thyme or fresh dill
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Croutons
• Lemon zest
• Hot sauce

This chicken orzo soup is extra hearty, a fun spin on traditional chicken noodle soup! Carrots, cannellini beans, asparagus, and lemon make this fresh and light, yet filling and comforting.

Grocery list and substitutions:

• White onion (can substitute yellow onion or shallot)
• Garlic cloves
• Whole carrots
• Asparagus
• Cannellini beans
• Chicken broth or chicken stock (can substitute chicken bone broth)
• Orzo pasta (can substitute other small pasta shape if needed)
• Skinless boneless chicken breasts (can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs, leftover white or dark meat from a rotisserie chicken, of leftover shredded chicken)
• Bay leaf
• Black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Garlic powder
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Heavy cream (can substitute milk as well)
• Parmesan cheese for garnish
• Baguette or other crispy bread for dipping
• Herbs for garnish such as fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh oregano

Cooking the chicken in the broth not only makes this super easy but adds lot of flavor to the chicken keeping it tender. You could also add in leftover rotisserie chicken or shred a baked chicken breast.

Pro Tips for success:

• Don’t overfill crock pot
• Add in asparagus once the chicken and carrots are cooked through
• Add required seasoning at the beginning and adjust once cooking is complete
• If your soup is too thick after cooking thin with a little more stock or cream
• Stir frequently so orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan
• Enjoy immediately if possible, this will store in the fridge for 1-2 days if needed

Enjoy this soup and all my other favorite soup recipes this soup season!

Tools I used for this slow cooker recipe:

• Crock pot – A classic, versatile kitchen appliance! This one is a perfect size for 1-3 people – I love that it doesn’t take a ton of space to store.
• Can Opener – this is my go to can opener, it has stayed sharp for a while and doesn’t break the bank.
• Ceramic Soup Bowls – I love these deep bowls for serving chunky soup.

Add the asparagus in last so it does not over cook!

Dry orzo will cook in the broth until perfectly al dente

Instructions for the lemon chicken soup:

• In the base of a crockpot combine onion, garlic, carrots, beans, dry orzo, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Cover and let cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low for 4.
• After 2 1/12 hours on high the chicken should be cooked through. Remove from the crockpot, shred, and return to the pot. Add in the asparagus, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cover and let cook on high for another 20-30 minutes, on low for 45-60 minutes.
• The asparagus and carrots should be tender. Add in the heavy cream, stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaves. Serve immediately with warm bread, garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs!

*This soup is best enjoyed immediately but if needed it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. If the soup thickens in the fridge thin with a little extra stock or water.

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