Description
A comforting, citrus‑bright slow cooker chicken soup with tender chicken, vegetables, and lemon flavor (a crockpot version of avgolemono / lemon chicken soup).
Ingredients
- 1 lb (≈450 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups (≈1.4 L) low‑sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water (adjust as needed)
- 1 cup uncooked orzo (or substitute with rice or small pasta)
- Juice and zest of 1–2 lemons (≈¼ to ⅓ cup juice)
- 1‑2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or dried thyme / Italian seasoning)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chicken broth, water, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper into the crockpot.
- Cook on **LOW** for 4–6 hours or on **HIGH** for 2–3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
- Remove the chicken to a plate; shred or chop it, discarding any bones if used. Return the chicken to the crockpot. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Add the orzo (or rice) and lemon juice (plus lemon zest) into the pot. Stir well. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- Cover and cook on HIGH (or continue on LOW) for another 15–30 minutes (or until the pasta/rice is tender). :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- If you expect leftovers, you might cook the orzo/rice separately and add it just before serving—this prevents it from absorbing too much broth over time. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- Bone‑in chicken (or thighs) can add more flavor; just remove bones before shredding. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
- If the soup becomes too thick (especially after resting), stir in extra broth or water. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
- For more lemon brightness, you can increase the lemon juice (or zest) to taste. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
- Do not boil vigorously after adding the lemon/egg (in classic avgolemono versions) if you choose to adapt toward that style; tempering is sometimes used. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ≈1 bowl (about 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: ≈250 kcal
- Sugar: ≈2–4 g
- Sodium: ≈400–600 mg (depends on broth used)
- Fat: ≈4–6 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈3–4 g
- Trans Fat: ≈0 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈25 g
- Fiber: ≈1–2 g
- Protein: ≈25–30 g
- Cholesterol: ≈60–90 mg
