Go Back
lemon chicken orzo soup

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken, Orzo & Vegetable Soup

It's creamy, it's comforting—and it's absolutely loaded with flavor.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 5 medium carrots, chopped (or 2 handfuls baby carrots, chopped)
  • 5 celery stalks, chopped
  • 7 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional, but encouraged)
  • 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto (I use store-bought)
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 to 3 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 pound orzo
  • chopped fresh dill

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 chef's knife
  • 1 slow cooker
  • 1 stirring spoon or ladle

Method
 

  1. Turn the slow cooker to low and add in onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, whole chicken breasts, the Parm rind (if you're using it) and chicken broth. Let it cook for 6 to 8 hours.
  2. In the last 30 minutes before serving, remove the Parm rind and add in the heavy cream (or milk), pesto, lemon juice and spinach. Give it a good stir and switch to warm. Remove the chicken, shred it with forks or chop into bite-sized pieces—it will be pull-apart tender—and return to the slow cooker. As the mixture cools and starts to thicken a bit, cook the orzo to al dente, according to the package's instructions.
  3. Spoon orzo into bowls and top with soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with dill.

Notes

I often toss the remaining orzo into the leftover soup. The orzo will absorb a ton of the liquid and soften up, thickening the soup to a more porridge-like texture for day two. It's different, but I love it that way! If you want it to be a thinner, more traditional soup, store the orzo and soup separately in the fridge and then combine just before reheating and serving.