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.
Great recipe!
Love the substitution and taste of couscous in place of rice, or orzo (the Greek ingredients as couscous is actually a North African semolina product). I used chicken pieces with the bone in and omitted the chicken stock, which adds unnecessary sodium. I found that using chicken pieces with the bone added a rich flavor.
Have you tried the authentic Greek Avgolemono Chicken Soup? Delicious too.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful chicken soup recipe, which I would call a Mediterranean Chicken Soup.
I never ever leave comments or reviews but for this I need to! Since making this for the first time about two months ago, I’ve probably made it weekly. It’s become a staple for us. So easy, light, healthy, and delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe! I can’t recommend it enough.
Hi Cristal,
YAY! I’m so glad you like it. You just made my day! :)
I know this is a crazy question but that pot in the video is amazing. What type of pot is that? Is it cast iron?
Thanks in advance! Making this recipe tonight… can’t wait!
I made this fabulous soup last Monday night and it was just delicious. I didn’t change the recipe at all and after tasting it, there was nothing to adjust. I’ll keep this one in my archive to be made again.
For those of you who subbed orzo, did you precook it or add it earlier to make sure it had enough time to boil?
Did you ever hear if you precook the orzo???? I am curious about the same thing.
Hi Lynne!
No, the orzo cooks right in the soup, just like the pearl couscous. :)
This looks wonderful! Have you tried using other parts of the chicken (skin and bones intact) and browning with the garlic and onion and cook as normal? Could then remove skin and bones at the point where you have remove breasts and shred.
Just made this, and it’s realllly good! Super easy, fast, and light, and the lemon zest is amazing! A nice amount of heat too. Thanks for sharing.
I love Lemon Chicken soup! I’ve never made it but I thin I might try it. I’ve only ever had it with rice in it though.
Okay, I feel compelled to comment on this soup… and I rarely comment! This soup is SO tasty and simple. I’ve made it at least 5 or 6 times because my family keeps asking for it! I follow the directions exactly except I only use half of the red pepper flakes (I have a toddler). Perfect every time. Still has a nice little zip. Thanks for the great recipe!
Love chicken soup and yours look almost the same as my. I think I will have to make one tonight. Thanks
This came out great! I forgot the feta by accident but it was still good, and used orzo per other comments (my store did not have the right cous cous in stock). I’ll remember the feta next time, and will chop the onions a bit more as well. Thank you!
I made this tonight and my family gave it a unanimous two thumbs up! Simple and so delicious. I left out the feta as we are watching our sodium but otherwise made it exactly as directed. This recipe is a keeper!