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This Lemon Chicken Soup is bright, cozy, and packed with tender chicken, vegetables, artichoke hearts, and pearl couscous in a homemade lemon-garlic broth. Fresh lemon juice and zest give every spoonful plenty of citrus flavor, while crumbled feta and chives add a salty, fresh finish.
Quick Look: Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
- What makes this recipe unique: This isn’t just another recipe for avgolemono, lemon chicken orzo soup, or creamy chicken soup. My lemon chicken soup is light, brothy, and made from scratch by simmering bone-in chicken thighs in water, instead of starting with prepared chicken broth and rotisserie chicken.
- Top tip: Add the lemon juice toward the end of cooking. It keeps the lemon flavor fresh and prevents it from becoming muted during a long simmer.
- Heat level: The crushed red pepper adds a gentle warmth rather than making the soup spicy. Reduce it or leave it out if you prefer a completely mild soup.
- Leftovers: Pearl couscous continues to absorb broth as it sits, so the soup will be thicker the next day. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating, or consider cooking the pearl couscous separately and adding it to individual bowls.
- Before serving: Taste the soup before adding more salt. The feta adds quite a bit of saltiness once it’s sprinkled over the top.
The homemade broth is the backbone of this lemon chicken soup recipe. I make it from scratch by simmering bone-in chicken thighs directly in water with bay leaves, a method you’ll find in several of my soup recipes, including homemade chicken soup and chicken caldo, or Mexican chicken soup. The chicken creates a rich, flavorful broth that becomes the base for the vegetables and pearl couscous.
From there, the broth is infused with loads of garlic, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest, giving it delicious fresh flavor that works perfectly with the artichoke hearts and salty feta. And while I’m tempted to call this recipe Greek chicken soup, or some variation of that name, I’m hesitant to do so since that name is better reserved for classic avgolemono soup, which gets its signature creamy texture from eggs and lemon. This version is much more brothy, but it still has plenty of Mediterranean-inspired flavor.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
This lemon chicken soup is made with simple ingredients, but a few are especially important to the flavor and texture of the finished soup.
- Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs: I love using bone-in thighs to make broth because the bones add flavor to the cooking liquid as the chicken simmers. If you can only find skin-on thighs, they will work, but I prefer removing the skin first for a lighter, leaner broth. If you want to make this soup with pre-cooked chicken, use a flavorful low-sodium chicken broth or my homemade chicken stock in place of the water, then stir in shredded chicken toward the end, just long enough to heat through.
- Onion, carrots, and celery: Also known as mirepoix, this classic veggie combo creates the aromatic vegetable base for the soup. Cook the vegetables until softened before adding the garlic so they have time to release their flavor without browning.
- Garlic: There are 10 cloves of garlic in this recipe, which may sound like a lot, but remember that this makes a large pot of soup. Plus, as the garlic cooks, its flavor softens and infuses the broth rather than tasting sharp or overpowering.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest: Please, please use fresh lemons here rather than bottled lemon juice. The juice provides lovely, bright acidity, while the zest adds concentrated lemon flavor – without making the broth taste sour. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them, it’s much easier that way 🙂
- Pearl couscous: Also called Israeli couscous, pearl couscous is a small, round pasta with a pleasantly chewy texture. It is much larger than traditional Moroccan couscous and cooks directly in the broth in this recipe. It adds just the right amout of texture and bulk, without turning it into a traditional chicken noodle soup. If you want to learn more about the different varieties, check out my guide answering what couscous is and how to cook it. And if you have extra pearl couscous in the pantry, my pearl couscous salad with chickpeas, cucumber, and tomatoes is another easy way to use it.
- Artichoke hearts: Quartered artichoke hearts add mild tanginess that fits especially well with the lemon, garlic, and feta. I recommend using plain, canned artichoke hearts rather than heavily marinated ones packed in oil so they don’t overpower the broth. If you love artichokes as much as I do, try my artichoke hearts with bread crumb topping (a fantastic appetizer) or my popular Mediterranean baked fish with artichokes and olives.
- Crushed red pepper: One teaspoon adds a little warmth to the broth without making the soup especially spicy. Feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out entirely for a milder soup.
- Feta and chives: I add both at serving rather than cooking them into the soup. The feta gives each bowl a salty, creamy contrast to the lemony broth, while the fresh chives add mild onion flavor. The feta can be left off if preferred, but I highly recommend giving it a try before ruling it out.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Soup
- Make the chicken broth. Add the chicken thighs and bay leaves to a large Dutch oven or stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, as measured with a digital meat thermometer.
- Strain the broth and shred the chicken. Transfer the cooked chicken thighs to a clean plate or bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or large bowl. Remove the chicken from the bones and shred it into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and bay leaves.
- Saute the vegetables. Wipe out the Dutch oven, then heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the garlic and seasonings. Stir in the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Return the broth and chicken to the pot. Pour the strained chicken broth back into the Dutch oven, then add the shredded chicken. Stir everything together and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the pearl couscous. Stir in the pearl couscous and continue simmering until the couscous is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, especially toward the end of cooking, to prevent the couscous from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the lemon. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Taste the broth and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
- Add the artichokes and serve. Gently stir in the quartered artichoke hearts and cook just until heated through. Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into bowls. Serve topped with crumbled feta, chopped chives, and additional black pepper or red pepper flakes, if desired.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigeration: Allow the soup to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Yes, pearl couscous will continue to absorb broth as the soup sits, so leftovers will be noticeably thicker the next day.
- Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger portions gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or chicken broth as needed to loosen the soup and replace some of the liquid absorbed by the couscous.
- Freezing: You can freeze this soup, but the pearl couscous will become softer after freezing and thawing. For the best texture, freeze the soup without the couscous and add freshly cooked couscous after reheating. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Lemon Chicken Soup FAQs
Yes. Since the bone-in chicken thighs normally simmer in water to create the broth for this recipe, you will need to replace the water with chicken broth or stock when using rotisserie chicken. Prepare the vegetables and broth as directed, then add about 4-5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken toward the end of cooking so it only needs to heat through.
Yes, although the cooking time will be different since orzo typically cooks faster than pearl couscous. If you specifically want to make this soup with orzo, I recommend trying my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, which was developed specifically with orzo and has its own cooking method.
Lemon juice adds acidity, which brightens the broth and balances the richer flavors from the chicken, garlic, and feta. I also use lemon zest in this recipe because it adds concentrated citrus flavor and aroma without making the soup more acidic. Adding the lemon toward the end of cooking helps preserve that fresh, vibrant flavor.
Absolutely. The artichoke hearts add a mild tanginess and tender texture that work especially well with the lemon and feta, but the soup will still be delicious without them. You do not need to replace them with anything.
Yes. This recipe is easy to customize with extra vegetables. Spinach or kale can be stirred in during the last few minutes of cooking, while zucchini, green beans, or peas can be added at the same time as the couscous so they have time to become tender. Fresh dill or parsley would also work well with the lemon, artichokes, and feta.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
I hope you love this Lemon Chicken Soup as much as we do! If you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback helps other readers know what to expect and helps more people discover the recipe. Thank you so much!
Lemon Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs, about 3 pounds
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced, about 2 cups
- 3 carrots, chopped, about 1½ cups
- 3 stalks celery, chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 10 cloves garlic, minced, about 3 tablespoons
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 3 lemons, juiced, about 1/2 cup
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 28 ounces artichoke hearts, packed in water or brine, drained and quartered
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- crumbled feta cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Make the chicken broth. Add the chicken thighs and bay leaves to a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add 12 cups of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, as measured with a digital meat thermometer.8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs, 2 bay leaves, 12 cups cold water
- Strain the broth and shred the chicken. Transfer the cooked chicken thighs to a clean plate or bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside. Remove the chicken from the bones and shred it into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and bay leaves.
- Saute the vegetables. Wipe out the Dutch oven, then heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10-12 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 medium yellow onions, 3 carrots, 3 stalks celery
- Add the garlic and seasonings. Stir in the garlic, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant.1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 10 cloves garlic
- Return the broth and chicken to the pot. Pour the strained chicken broth back into the Dutch oven and add the shredded chicken. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the pearl couscous. Stir in the pearl couscous and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasionally, especially toward the end of cooking, to prevent the couscous from sticking to the bottom of the pot.1 cup pearl couscous
- Add the lemon juice and zest. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to warm everything through while keeping the lemon flavor bright and fresh.3 lemons, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- Add the artichokes. Gently stir in the quartered artichoke hearts and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.28 ounces artichoke hearts
- Taste and serve. Taste the soup and adjust with additional salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, or lemon juice as desired. Stir in the chopped chives or sprinkle them over individual servings. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with crumbled feta cheese.2 tablespoons fresh chives, crumbled feta cheese
Notes
- Using rotisserie chicken: Replace the water with low-sodium chicken broth or stock and add approximately 4-5 cups of shredded cooked chicken toward the end of cooking, just long enough to heat through.
- Pearl couscous: Pearl couscous continues to absorb broth as the soup sits. Leftovers will be thicker, so add a splash of water or chicken broth when reheating.
- Artichoke hearts: Use plain canned or jarred artichoke hearts packed in water or brine rather than strongly seasoned marinated artichokes. Drain well before adding.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is strongly recommended.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the soup without the pearl couscous and add freshly cooked couscous after reheating. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very nice, good process, tasty, but came out fattier than expected, so spooned some off top. Will chill and see if I can get more. Used skinless chicken thighs, thinking less olive oil and sauté veggies in a ladle of the broth. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
@theforkedspoon
#theforkedspoon
Thank you for the tasty feedback and rating, Christopher 😀
Your recipes are awesome. Thanks for sharing them
Thanks for the awesome feedback Stephanie 🙂
Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed making and eating this soup this evening. I found the recipe on Pinterest and was immediately intrigued by the artichoke component. The feta garnish brought the soup to a wonderful level of flavor complexity, while the recipe is simple to make. I foresee making this recipe many times in the future and will be sharing it with others. Thank you, Elizabeth Speicher