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Lemon Chicken Soup

This Lemon Chicken Soup recipe has savory broth with vegetables, juicy chicken, noodles, and a hint of lemon. It’s super cozy and really easy to make! 

Be sure to serve this with a side of No Knead Bread, and try my Chicken Taco Soup recipe next!

A white bowl of Lemon Chicken Soup with a spoon on the side.

Lemon Chicken Soup

This Lemon Chicken Soup has it all! Tender vegetables, juicy chicken, the best seasonings, noodles, and a hint of lemon throughout that savory broth. It is without a doubt one of the simplest, coziest soups out there. 

I like to sear seasoned chicken right in the skillet to get things started. The fond (brown remnants)  gets deglazed with wine, which really sets a flavorful tone for the rest of the soup. 

From there a traditional mirepoix is prepared, along with the best seasonings and flavor enhancers. You are going to love this soup!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Season the chicken and sear in olive oil. Set aside and let rest, then shred or dice.

Seared chicken in a soup pot next to a plate of shredded chicken.

Deglaze the skillet with wine and “clean” the bottom/sides of the pot. Add onions, celery, carrots, and butter. Cook until the wine is reduced by half and the vegetables have softened.

Deglazing a soup pot with wine and adding a mirepoix with butter to make soup.

Add the chicken broth mixture (chicken broth, bouillon, soy sauce, lemon juice, parsley, basil, oregano, mustard powder, and turmeric).

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chicken back. Simmer while you boil angel hair separately. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Add the pasta to serving bowls and ladle the soup on top. Serve! 

Adding broth, chicken, and noodles to a pot of lemon chicken soup.

Pro Tips

  • Cooking the Pasta: Cook the pasta separately and add it directly to serving bowls. This is crucial. Otherwise, the pasta becomes mushy and absorbs all of the broth (especially as it continues to sit in it). 
  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor.  (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that.
  • The soy sauce and mustard powder are flavor enhancers that you can’t taste outright, but they add umami and elevate the other flavors in the soup. 
  • Wine: Dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio are best in this recipe and pair well with lemon. Chicken Broth may be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • If possible, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (Packaged grated cheese won’t melt as well or taste as well.) Belgioioso is my brand of choice.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed has more flavor than bottled.
  • Add the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it simmers for even more flavor!
  • Chicken: 3-4 cups of cooked chicken can be used instead of fresh chicken if needed.
  • Optional add-ons: Spinach, kale, and sauteed mushrooms are great additions!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Leftover soup does freeze/reheat well, boil fresh pasta for serving instead of storing it with the soup if possible!

Lemon Chicken Soup in a green soup pot with lemons on top.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– The perfect size for almost any soup recipe.
  • Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth/bouillon in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
  • Pinch Bowls– For measuring seasonings, etc. ahead of time.
  • Soup Ladle
  • 16 oz. storage containers. I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

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Lemon Chicken Soup in a white bowl with fresh lemon slices and a spoon on the side.

Lemon Chicken Soup

5 from 15 ratings
This Lemon Chicken Soup recipe has savory broth, simple seasonings, lemon, chicken, and noodles. It's easy to make and super cozy!

Ingredients

Soup

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ¼ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, see notes
  • Lemon pepper seasoning, see notes
  • ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • ¾ cup carrots, diced
  • 2 sticks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 7 cups chicken broth
  • ½ chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • Juice of 1 lemon, 3-4 tbsp.
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 Parmesan cheese rind, optional but recommended
  • 4 oz. angel hair

Seasonings

  • ¾ teaspoon EACH: dried parsley, basil, oregano, mustard powder
  • 1 pinch turmeric
  • Salt/Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken broth, bouillon, soy sauce, lemon juice, parsley, basil, oregano, mustard powder, and turmeric and set aside.
  • If using thick chicken, slice it in half lengthwise. Pat it dry and season each side with lemon pepper seasoning.
  • Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes, until a golden color has developed. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes, then dice or shred. (It’s okay if the middle isn’t 100% cooked through yet.)
  • Add wine to the skillet over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the butter, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the wine is reduced by half, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the chicken broth mixture (from step 1), and the cheese rind, if using. (Don’t add the grated cheese yet.)
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Add the chicken back and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes to concentrate the flavor and finish cooking the chicken.
  • Boil angel hair in a separated pot of salted, boiling water for 4 minutes or as indicated on package. Don’t overcook. Drain and add directly to serving bowls.
  • Remove the soup from the heat and gradually stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Any remains of the rind can be discarded.
  • Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired. Ladle the soup over the pasta noodles and garnish with parsley.

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Cooking the Pasta: Cook the pasta separately and add it directly to serving bowls. This is crucial. Otherwise, the pasta becomes mushy and absorbs all of the broth (especially as it continues to sit in it). 
  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor.  (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that.
  • The soy sauce and mustard powder are flavor enhancers that you can't taste outright, but they add umami and elevate the other flavors in the soup. 
  • Wine: Dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio are best in this recipe and pair well with lemon. Chicken Broth may be used if you don't cook with wine.
  • If possible, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (Packaged grated cheese won't melt as well or taste as well.) Belgioioso is my brand of choice.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed has more flavor than bottled.
  • Add the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it simmers for even more flavor!
  • Chicken: 3-4 cups of cooked chicken can be used instead of fresh chicken if needed.
  • Optional add-ons: Spinach, kale, and sauteed mushrooms are great additions!

Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Leftover soup does freeze/reheat well, boil fresh pasta for serving instead of storing it with the soup if possible!

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 1397mg, Potassium: 563mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2785IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 109mg, Iron: 1mg
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38 comments on “Lemon Chicken Soup”

  1. This was DELICIOUS but the chicken came out tough instead of soft and falling apart. Even through I shredded it and boiled everything together for 30 minutes instead of the 15-20. Where did I go wrong?!

    • Hi Alissa! The misstep was boiling the chicken for 30 minutes, instead of letting it gently simmer for 15 to 20. If you boil chicken rapidly, and for a long time, it becomes more tough, not more tender. Always cook it gently until cooked through, not past the point of cooked through. ❤️

  2. Really enjoyed this soup! I just did S&P on the chicken, since it’s what I had, added spinach as I needed to ditch some.  My mother, who is a very good cook, said it’s one of the best soups she’s ever had!  Will be a family staple! 

    • I am sooooo happy to hear that it was a hit with you and with your mother too! What a huge compliment coming from her, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂 -Stephanie

  3. The family loved this soup definitely making this again! 

  4. Loved this!!! I especially love that it’s low calorie and tasty. It wasn’t difficult to make either. I would add another lemon though if you like a more lemony flavor. Will definitely add this to my rotation!

    • I’m so happy that you loved the soup April!!! I am with you, I could dump a bucket of lemons into this, lol. (Perhaps that’s going a little far, but I do love my lemon flavor!) Thank you so much for the review!! 🙂

  5. Amazing soup!!! I absolutely love it

  6. This is the absolute best chicken noodle recipe I’ve tried! We love it! I am so glad I found you! 🙂

  7. Absolutely delicious. I omitted the wine and used gluten free ramen noodles. I’ll be making it again because my husband and three kids loved it, and one of them said that it’s their new fav soup!

  8. My family loved this soup. It has a little more special character than regular chicken noodle soup. We loved the lemon flavor and the parmesan; and the kids loved the long noodles. We used a small amount of Pinot Grigio for that extra special taste and it was a hit all around! We give it 5 stars and we will be making it regularly!

  9. How much butter do you use? I didn’t see it listed in the ingredients

  10. Very nice soup!  I thought it may be too much lemon but it’s perfect.  Great comfort dish.  I used ditalini instead and cubed the chicken prior to cooking.  Plan on 1 to 1.5 hrs to finish depending on how efficient you are.

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