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.
My husband and I love this recipe. Definitely will be your favorite soup too. You can make a large pot then freeze the left overs.
This soup was so delicious! I had leftover Greek shredded pork that I used instead of chicken and replaced the Israeli couscous that I couldn’t find in the store with half white rice and half lentils. I also squeezed a little lemon juice on top at serving. So flavorful!
I made this soup! It was actually pretty good, but not what I expected from the picture. Next time I make it I would only use half of an onion just so its not so onion heavy. Also, id chop the onion pieces a bit smaller.
After I zested my lemon, I squeezed half of the juice in before the boil and then the other half in after the boil. Also, I pulled chicken from a precooked rotisserie chicken and it turned out great!
This would be a great soup base to add other vegetables of choice.
I just made this and I am about to serve it but Im not sure my kids will eat it. 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper made it really spicy! Otherwise it is delicious!
I made this last night and it was just wonderful!! I am suffering from a little bit of a head cold so my heavy hand with the red pepper flakes was just what the doctor ordered. Home remedy for the week lol. Next time, I may add more couscous. Either way this will be a go to for sure. Thank you!!
Hi Di,
Sorry you’re not feeling well. I’m so glad you like the soup. It perks me up anytime I make it! :)
I’ve done a cheater’s version of this. I like creamed soups so I start with a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken. I add chicken broth, a can of canned chicken breast pieces (I purchase these at Sam’s club), and some instant rice (what can I say, I’m a lazy cook!). I use lots of lemon pepper and some lemon juice for seasoning, often garlic and onion powders as well. It turned out well enough to make me happy! But I will try this recipe now that I have something more authentic available.
This is the best lemon chicken soup that I have ever made. It is a keeper!
This soup is my very favorite! I make it all the time. Quick and easy and so delicious and healthy. Thank you so much!
6-8 servings, would you say a cup of soup is a serving?
This soup is delicious! So fresh and flavorful. I added about 1 cup of chopped carrots to the onion/garlic mixture. I also added some chopped kale at the end. Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Can you use yellow onion instead of sweet onion?
Hi Holly, Absolutely! Happy Cooking!! :)
So this looks delish! However I’m so NOT a fan of feta. I know that’s mostly what makes it Greek. But could I possibly use Parmesan or some other cheese? Sorry to want to change your creation!!
Hi Kim,
Of Course! I also have an Italian Chicken Soup recipe you might prefer: http://www.aspicyperspective.com/italian-chicken-orzo-soup/
I used the mexican cheese cotija! I’m not a fan of feta either but I love cotija, it’s soft and crumbly like feta but has a less pungent taste.