Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
Meat and Broth
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
Seasonings and Herbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
Pasta and Citrus
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot or your chosen cooking appliance over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced carrots, chopped onion, celery, and minced garlic for about 5 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
- Add Seasonings and Chicken: Stir in black pepper, dried parsley, dried thyme, salt, bay leaves, chicken breasts, and chicken broth. Mix well to combine all the flavors.
- Cook the Soup: For stovetop, cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. For crockpot, set on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. For instant pot, seal and pressure cook on Soup or High Pressure for 12 minutes, allowing time to reach pressure.
- Prepare Pasta: For stovetop, remove chicken and bay leaves, add orzo to soup, and cook for half the package’s recommended time, usually around 4-5 minutes. For crockpot and instant pot, cook pasta separately according to package directions to preferred tenderness.
- Shred Chicken: Remove cooked chicken breasts and shred them using two forks until finely pulled apart.
- Finish the Soup: Remove bay leaves from soup, then stir in shredded chicken and fresh lemon juice. For crockpot and instant pot, add cooked pasta along with chicken and lemon juice. Mix everything well and serve hot.
Notes
- Cooking pasta separately ensures it doesn’t become mushy if the soup is stored for leftovers.
- Adjust lemon juice to taste for more or less citrus brightness.
- You can substitute orzo for rice, pasta, or zucchini noodles depending on dietary needs.
- Use low sodium broth to better control saltiness in final dish.
- Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Low Fat
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 240 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
