Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 7, 2025 
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe is a light and healthy soup with bold Greek flavors, and a great way to warm your belly on cool evenings!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup… For the Soul
Today’s Greek Lemon Chicken Soup is a recipe that my family absolutely loves. We first tasted something similar at a little soup and sandwich shop right outside Kiawah Island in South Carolina. It’s a cozy and healthy Chicken Soup, loaded with Greek flavors like garlic, earthy olive oil, and feta cheese.
This is the kind of soup recipe I make for my kids when they come home, worn from a long day at school. The little orbs of pearl couscous and morsels of cheese swirl to the surface with every spoonful.
A sight that lifts the spirit and warms the belly!
Ingredients You Need
- Chicken Broth – or chicken bouillon. If using low-sodium broth, you might need to add a little extra salt!
- Olive Oil – to sauté the veggies and chicken
- Garlic – freshly minced
- Onion – in small strips
- Lemon Zest – this adds loads of lemony flavor! Serve the soup with the slices of lemon.
- Chicken – chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well
- Pearl Couscous – also known as Israeli couscous, it is larger than regular couscous
- Crushed Red Pepper – for a hint of spice
- Crumbled Feta – for a tangy, savory flavor
- Chives – as garnish, if desired
- Salt & Pepper – to taste
How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
This soup is pretty straightforward and simple to make! Find the full Lemon Chicken Soup recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Tips & Tricks
- You can replace the couscous with long-grain white rice, orzo pasta, or acini di pepe pasta balls! Each one will have a different cooking time though, so adjust as needed. If adding rice, you might need more liquid! Rice will lend a more creamy texture!
- Garnish with fresh herbs like chopped chives, or fresh dill or parsley!
- Add additional vegetables! You can add diced carrots and celery for a more traditional chicken noodle soup, with the Greek twist of lemon and feta!
- Use rotisserie chicken for ease! You can skip cooking the chicken and simply add shredded rotisserie chicken if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead?Absolutely! If you have leftover chicken on hand, you can definitely make this Greek chicken soup recipe with shredded rotisserie chicken or any chicken you have.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?To make vegetarian greek lemon soup, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth!
Is this soup gluten-free?No! Couscous is not gluten-free. If you want to make a gluten free Greek lemon chicken soup recipe, simply omit the couscous or add a gluten free alternative like rice, quinoa, or gluten-free orzo pasta.
What goes good with lemony chicken soup?Dish your lemony chicken soup up on its own or serve it with breadsticks and a Greek salad!
How should I store Greek lemon chicken soup?To store any leftovers, place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the fridge! To freeze, place the cooled soup in a zip bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and warm up in a sauce pan on the stovetop before serving! Or, simply reheat in the microwave!
Looking for More Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 large lemon, zested
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Israeli couscous (pearl)
- 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 2 ounces crumbled feta
- 1/3 cup chopped chive
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the olive oil in a large 6-8 quart sauce pot over medium-low heat. Peel the onion. Then quarter it and slice into thin strips. Once the oil is hot, saute the onion and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes to soften.
- Add the chicken broth, raw chicken breasts, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper to the pot. Raise the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the couscous, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Simmer another 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off.
- Using tongs, remove the two chicken breasts from the pot. Use a fork and the tongs to shred the chicken. Then place it back in the pot. Stir in the crumbled feta cheese and chopped chive. Taste and salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
I am Greek and was hoping this would be similar to avgolemeno but it really isn’t but it is still very good and a heck of a lot easier than making authentic Greek lemon soup. The grocery store didn’t have the feta I like so I skipped that since it isn’t used when making the authentic version but I’m going to get some tomorrow and give it a try.
I am making this after my son’s friend said she has made it twice. I did not have couscous and the store in town didn’t have any either so I used whole grain orzo. I also added the juice of the lemon as suggested and a couple handfuls of spinach. Smells fabulous. I used no salt chicken stock due to my husband having to reduce his sodium intake. The flavor is outstanding!
I assumed you meant the lemon zest of an entire lemon. Delicious soup. No subs.
I have made this soup a dozen times and my family lives it. Both my kids make it for their families. I make it with Jasmine rice because I always have it in my cabinets. Today I had no chives and used mint and purple basil because I had some left over. It was great especially the mint. Try this you will love it.
Your comments of perseverance speak to me. I was the same way and it’s the best thing that ever hapenned to me. And great recipe.
I made this soup last night. It’s absolutely delicious! And so, so easy to make! Be careful with the chicken breasts. If you get unusually thick or large breasts, as I did, you will have to boil the chicken for an extra few minutes. I also added the juice of the whole lemon to the soup, which gave it an added depth of flavor. Other than that, I followed the recipe to the letter and the soup is a true delight. I feel like it’s an adult or gourmet version of the classic chicken noodle soup. This will be a new staple in my kitchen.
I had lemon chicken soup at a Greek restaurant once and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe so I can make it myself! Pinning now to try soon.
This sounds absolutely delicious!! I’m not too fond of feta though, is there another cheese that you can recommend that would compliment the soup? Thank you kindly.
I loved this soup, but looking back at the recipe I can’t find the nutritional stuff like how many carbs is in this and other information. Can you please tell me where to find it.
This sounds delicious. I haven’t tried couscous before but look forward to trying it. Question: Does couscous reheat well? Would this be something that I could take leftovers to work for lunches? Or will the couscous get mushy when refriderated/reheated?
TOO high in carbohydrates for ONE serving, ALSO the only way for ONE serving to be 23 g carbs is by COMPLETELY omitting the Israeli couscous (which as a grain product CANNOT be a KETO ingredient.
Don’t get yer hair in a twist, patty-cakes. I don’t remember the author saying anything about this being a KETO recipe.
I also found this recipe on a website claiming to be “The best keto soup recipes.” I’m sure it’s very delicious but it is misleading.
Hi guys,
Sorry about that… I’m not sure who’s claiming this is keto, but it’s not us.
If you don’t like it or can’t make it due to dietary restrictions, then make something else. Simple enough. Why comment on a recipe that you have no intention on making??
This is one of my favorite soups. Can’t get enough of it and every time I share it, they want the recipe. Thanks for such a healthy, tasty, “good for you” soup!
Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out fantastic. I was a little worried due to the simplicity of the ingredients. However, everyone loved it. I only changed two things. I made my chicken in an instant pot so it would shred a bit easier for me, and I added 1 carton of chicken bone broth along with chicken stock. I also added a small squirt of lemon juice. So so good!