Lemony Chicken & Orzo Soup
- 20m Prep Time
- 5h Cook Time
- 5h Ready In
A comforting slow cooker chicken soup with orzo, carrots, and snap peas, brightened with lemon and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in chicken breast (1½ pounds), split, skin removed
- 4 carrots, halved crosswise halved crosswise
- 1 medium onion, quartered quartered
- 1 lemon, halved halved
- 4 sprig dill sprigs, plus more for topping
- 4 sprig flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 stalks celery
- 3/4 cup orzo
- 1/2 lbs snap peas, thinly sliced crosswise thinly sliced crosswise
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 7 of 10 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 954 mg
- Iron: 5.77 mg
- Magnesium: 102 mg
- Phosphorus: 939 mg
- Potassium: 953 mg
- Zinc: 4.31 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 bone-in chicken breast (1½ pounds), split, skin removed
- 4 sprig dill sprigs, plus more for topping
- 4 sprig flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 stalks celery
- 3/4 cup orzo
Prepare
- 4 carrots, halved crosswise, halved crosswise
- Quarter 1 medium onion, quartered
- Halve 1 lemon, halved
- 1/2 lbs snap peas, thinly sliced crosswise, thinly sliced crosswise
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Place the chicken breast, halved carrots, quartered onion, and halved lemon in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Tie the dill and parsley sprigs together with kitchen string and nestle among the chicken and vegetables. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and easily shreds, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
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Step 2.
Thirty minutes before serving, transfer the chicken to a bowl and the carrots and onion to a cutting board. Discard the lemon and herb bundle. If desired, strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and return it to the slow cooker.
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Step 3.
Cut the celery into ¼-inch pieces and add to the slow cooker along with the orzo. Cover and cook on high until the orzo is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
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Step 4.
While the orzo cooks, cut the cooked carrots into rounds and cut the onion into ¼-inch pieces. Shred the chicken into large pieces, discarding the bones.
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Step 5.
Just before serving, return the shredded chicken, carrot rounds, and onion pieces to the slow cooker along with the sliced snap peas. Cook for 3 minutes. Serve with extra dill if desired.