This lemon chicken soup is fresh, light, and easy to make! It’s a delicious twist on the classic chicken noodle soup.

lemon chicken noodle soup

There’s no doubt chicken noodle is classic comfort food. There are many variations of this soup, such as Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, Sicilian Chicken Soup, and many more.

Today, I’m sharing a lemon-flavored chicken soup with everything that makes chicken noodle soup the best — juicy chicken, soft noodles, tender veggies, and lemon and oregano infused broth.

It comes together in one pot and it’s easy to pull off on any day of the week. Not to mention it freezes well, so leftovers never go to waste.

You’ll love this comforting lemon chicken noodle soup recipe year round!

ingredients for lemon chicken soup recipe

Most Important Seasoning Ingredient

Salt. My tip is to salt the soup at every step, and taste as you go (as long as it’s safe). You’ll want to build on the flavors gradually.

Remember salt is meant to enhance the flavor of the ingredients and not make the soup taste salty. If the soup is tasting flat or even a little bitter, add a pinch of salt, taste, and add more if needed.

lemon chicken soup

How to Make Lemon Chicken Soup

  • Cook the chicken: Toss the chicken with salt and pepper.
chicken in a bowl
  • Heat a soup pot or a dutch-oven with olive oil. When hot, add the chicken and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
cooked chicken in a bowl
  • Cook the veggies: Add onions, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook until beginning to soften. Stir in garlic and oregano.
cooked veggies in a soup pot
  • Add stock and pasta: Add chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Stir in pasta and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until pasta and veggies are tender.
chicken and noodles in a soup pot
  • Finish with lemon and parsley: Remove and discard the bay leaves.
cooked soup in a soup pot
  • Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley.
cooked lemon chicken soup with parsley

Tips for Making Soup

  • Double the recipe! Chicken noodle soup freezes well for up to 3 months.
  • Sweat the veggies. Soften the vegetables without browning them to get the most flavor.
  • Make your own stock either the traditional way or in a crockpot.
  • Salt as you go. Taste the soup at every step and season with salt as needed.
  • For best flavor do not substitute thighs with breast. But if you must, see the recipe card for instructions.
  • Do not overcook the noodles. Check the pasta package for cooking time.

What Goes with Chicken Soup?

Chicken soup is great on its own or with one of these sides for a more hearty and filling meal:

lemon chicken soup recipe

Video: How to Make Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup

More Soup Recipes

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lemon chicken noodle soup

Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmer
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Comforting lemon chicken noodle soup with tender chicken, soft noodles, bright veggies, and lemon oregano infused broth. It’s the perfect soup to make year-round!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 23 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into strips
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 medium onion, diced, about 1/21 cup
  • 3 carrots, diced, about 1 cup
  • 2 celery ribs, diced, about 1 cup
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3/4 cups dried pasta, such as fine egg noodles or fideo (cut spaghetti)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, about 2 lemons
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. In a 4.5-quart or bigger soup pot or a dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Toss chicken with 3/4 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoons of pepper and add to the pot. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil if needed. Add onions, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook until the veggies are beginning to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  3. Add chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Stir in pasta and chicken. Season soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer partially covered until pasta and veggies are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir the soup occasionally so the pasta does not stick.
  4. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. 

Notes

  • Can I substitute chicken breast for the thighs? Yes, you can. Follow directions as written until step 3. Add chicken breast in the last 3 minutes of cooking, otherwise, if you add it in with the pasta it will be tough by the time the soup is done cooking.
  • Leftovers: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 288
  • Sugar: 6.7 g
  • Sodium: 601.1 mg
  • Fat: 11 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.4 g
  • Protein: 23.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 78.2 mg