We believe there’s nothing quite like a meal that offers the comfort of a warm embrace while also being zesty, light, and utterly invigorating. It’s a delightful balance to find, and we think our fabulous Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup achieves it perfectly. This recipe provides all the classic cosiness you’d expect from a chicken soup, but with an added bright, citrusy lift that truly awakens the senses. It’s a nourishing and uplifting dish, and it’s one of those wonderfully easy crockpot meals that will quickly become a household favourite.

In this guide, we’ll take you step-by-step through the process of creating this beautiful soup. We have designed this recipe to be as straightforward as possible, allowing your slow cooker to handle the majority of the work. Your part involves gathering a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients and spending a few moments on prep. After that, you can relax and enjoy the incredible aromas as they fill your home. Let’s begin!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Effortless Convenience: We are huge fans of recipes that fit into our busy modern lives. This soup is the essence of convenience. Just place all the ingredients in the crockpot before you start your day, and a flavourful, ready-to-eat meal will be waiting for you at dinnertime.
• A Bright and Uplifting Taste: The delightful blend of succulent chicken, wholesome vegetables, and a vibrant burst of fresh lemon and dill results in a flavour profile that is both nuanced and wonderfully refreshing. It offers a welcome departure from heavier, cream-based soups.
• Healthy and Wholesome: Brimming with lean protein, fresh vegetables, and a hydrating broth, this soup is an excellent choice for a nutritious meal. It’s low in calories but rich in flavour and goodness, making it a perfect option for any day of the week.
• Fantastically Versatile: This recipe serves as a brilliant foundation. We encourage you to get creative and customise it with your preferred vegetables, herbs, or even add some orzo or rice near the end to create a more substantial dish.
• Ideal for Any Season: While chicken soup is traditionally a winter comfort food, the zesty lemon in this recipe makes it one of our most loved refreshing soup recipes, light enough to be enjoyed even on sunnier days.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 700g)
• 8 cups (around 2 litres) good-quality chicken stock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large courgette, diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Juice of 2 large lemons (plus zest from one for garnish)
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

How to Make Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup

Putting together this gorgeous soup is remarkably simple. We’ve outlined the process in just a few easy-to-follow steps. The true beauty of a slow cooker is its ability to do the hard work for you, gently developing all the delicious flavours while you carry on with your day.

1. Create the Aromatic Base: Start by placing the chopped onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and minced garlic into the bottom of your slow cooker pot. This establishes a flavourful foundation for the chicken.
2. Add Chicken and Seasonings: Position the chicken breasts on top of the vegetable layer. Pour the chicken stock over the ingredients, ensuring everything is covered. Add the dried oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Give it a gentle stir to combine everything.
3. Let the Slow Cooker Work Its Magic: Place the lid securely on your crockpot. Set it to cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. We find that the low setting yields the most tender and flavourful results. The soup is ready when the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the vegetables are soft.
4. Shred the Chicken: Gently lift the cooked chicken breasts out of the slow cooker and transfer them to a chopping board. Using a pair of forks, pull the chicken apart into bite-sized shreds. The meat should be exceptionally tender and shred with ease.
5. Incorporate the Finishing Touches: Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Now, add the diced courgette—we add it at this stage to prevent it from becoming overly soft. Stir through the fresh lemon juice, chopped dill, and parsley. Allow it to cook for a final 15-20 minutes on the high setting, which is just enough time for the courgette to become tender-crisp and for the fresh flavours to meld beautifully.
6. Taste, Adjust, and Serve: Remember to remove the bay leaves before serving. Take a moment to taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed. You might find it benefits from a little more salt, pepper, or an extra dash of lemon juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some extra fresh dill and a sprinkle of lemon zest for a lovely final flourish.

Tips for the Perfect Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

Although this recipe is beautifully straightforward, a few of our favourite tips can take your slow cooker chicken soup from simply delicious to truly exceptional. Here are some of our best-kept secrets.

Ingredient Swaps and Additions

The flexibility of this recipe is one of its greatest strengths. We encourage you to adapt it to your own tastes!

• Chicken: If you’re a fan of dark meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a wonderful alternative. They offer a richer taste and stay incredibly moist throughout the slow-cooking process.
• Grains: To make the soup heartier, consider adding about 100g of orzo pasta or long-grain rice during the last 30-40 minutes of cooking. You may need to add an extra cup of stock, as the grains will absorb some liquid.
• Vegetables: This soup is an excellent way to use up any spare vegetables you might have. Leeks, peas, kale, or spinach would all make fantastic additions. Simply stir in leafy greens like spinach at the very end, as they only require a minute or so to wilt.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

This soup is a superb choice for meal prepping. It keeps well, and we find the flavours often become even more developed overnight. For anyone who enjoys batch cooking, it also freezes perfectly, much like our Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew.

• To Store: Let the soup cool down completely before transferring it into an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To Freeze: Pour the cooled soup into freezer-safe bags or containers, ensuring you leave a small gap at the top to allow for expansion. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• To Reheat: If frozen, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight. Reheat it gently in a saucepan on the hob until it’s piping hot. We suggest adding a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and a scattering of fresh herbs before serving to revive the bright flavours.

Serving Suggestions for a Complete Meal

While this Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup is wonderfully satisfying on its own, pairing it with the right side can elevate it into a more substantial meal. We often turn to it for our light dinner ideas. Here are a few of our preferred serving options:

• Crusty Bread: A chunk of warm, crusty baguette or a slice of artisan sourdough is perfect for dipping into the flavourful broth.
• A Simple Green Salad: A fresh, crisp salad dressed with a light vinaigrette offers a lovely textural and temperature contrast.
• Cheese Scones: For a more comforting accompaniment, serve the soup with warm, fluffy cheese scones. Their savoury notes complement the zesty soup beautifully.

However you choose to enjoy it, we are confident this soup will become a household favourite, just as a Classic Creamy Tomato Soup is for a drizzly afternoon.

The key ingredients, chicken and lemon, not only create a fantastic flavour pairing but also bring significant nutritional benefits. Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein, essential for muscle health and bodily functions. You can find out more about the importance of lean protein from trusted sources like the British Nutrition Foundation. Meanwhile, the lemon provides not just its zesty taste but also a welcome boost of Vitamin C!

FAQ

A Bowl of Sunshine You’ll Make Again and Again

And there we have it—a simple, nourishing, and completely delicious Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup that we’re sure will earn a regular spot on your family’s menu. It’s the ideal meal when you’re in the mood for something that is both comforting and light, serving as a perfect example of how easy, healthy food can be bursting with incredible flavour.

We are truly excited for you to give this recipe a go and discover its bright, zesty goodness for yourself. It really is a wonderful showcase of what can be achieved with simple ingredients and the convenience of a slow cooker.

Have you tried our Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup? We would be delighted to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to leave a comment and a rating below to let us know how you got on. If you share a picture on social media, please don’t forget to tag us—we always love to see your culinary creations!

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 3-4 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 700g)
• 8 cups (2 litres) chicken stock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large courgette, diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Lemon zest, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic into the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Position the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables. Pour in the chicken stock and add the oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
4. Carefully remove the chicken breasts, shred the meat using two forks, and then return the shredded chicken to the soup.
5. Stir in the diced courgette, fresh lemon juice, chopped dill, and parsley. Cook on high for a final 15-20 minutes, until the courgette is tender-crisp.
6. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot, garnished with fresh dill and lemon zest.

Nutrition (per serving, approx.): Calories: 359 kcal, Carbs: 10 g, Protein: 58 g, Fat: 8 g