Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup's charm lies in its simplicity: the perfect balance of creamy stock, comforting chicken and herbs, and that fresh lemon flavor we all love -- with gentle comforting year round in-season veggies and fresh dill. Nourishing and loved by all, this soup is easy to make and perfect for family or guests.

Make this recipe on the stove top in just 15 minutes, or in your Instant Pot, with a cooking time of just 5 minutes.

Enjoy with any real food diet, including Gluten free, Paleo (grain-free), Whole30, Anti-Inflammatory, VAD, Low Oxalate, Low FODMAP or AIP. See those slight variations in the recipe.

Course DInner, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Greek

Keyword aip, anti-inflammatory, chicken, gluten-free, greek, lemon, low vitamin A, paleo, soup, whole30

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 434kcal

Author Megan

Cost $10

Equipment

soup pot or Instant Pot

Ingredients

6 cups water
1 cup celery finely chopped (omit for Low Oxalate, or sub for more carrots)
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sea salt <--If you use the linked-to product, use 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons; it's my preferred salt choice for clean eating (but not as salty; it's the "cleanest" salt after 3rd party testing)
2 teaspoons dried dill
1-1/2 teaspoons dried powdered rosemary or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (choose rosemary for VAD)
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (for VAD)
2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless (whole), amount according to preference
1-1/2 cups carrots shredded, use white carrots for VAD
½ cup lemon juice fresh (about 2 large lemons)
2 cups cooked rice (brown or white) or cooked grain-free orzo for Paleo diets, or Italian ancestral orzo
¾ ounce dill fresh, chopped (1 "clamshell" of herbs)
12 slices lemon one large lemon, or 2 smaller

Instructions

This recipe assumes you have already cooked rice or orzo ready to go. If it's not cooked yet, cook it now, according to package instructions.
Stove top: In a large pot, combine water, celery, salt, dried herbs and ground white pepper/ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add chicken, lemon juice and shredded carrots; then reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
For Instant Pot, combine in insert: chicken, water, lemon juice, shredded carrots, celery, salt, dried herbs and ground white pepper/ginger. Secure lid, press Manual button, and use arrow button to choose 5 minutes. When timer sounds, allow NPR for 10 minutes, then do a QPR.
Use tongs to remove chicken to a cutting board. Cut into small bite-size pieces, and return to pot.
Also add, and stir into pot: cooked rice or orzo pasta. Add fresh dill and lemon slices.
Serve, making sure each bowl gets one to two lemon slices.

Nutrition