One-Pot Lemon Chicken Soup (Printable Version)

Zesty chicken and rice soup with fresh veggies, cooked quickly in one pot for a wholesome meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz), diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 3.5 oz baby spinach (about 2 cups, packed)
07 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

→ Grains

08 - 2/3 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 5.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 2 cups water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish

→ Oils

16 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but not fully cooked through.
04 - Add rice, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. Stir to combine all ingredients evenly.
05 - Pour in chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 18 to 20 minutes until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
06 - Discard bay leaf. Stir in spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until spinach wilts.
07 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in fresh parsley.
08 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with extra parsley and lemon slices if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The whole thing lives in one pot, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying the meal instead of standing at the sink.
  • Lemon brightens everything without needing a lot of salt, so it tastes fresh even when the weather outside is anything but.
  • It comes together faster than most soups, but tastes like you've been tending it all day.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice; I learned this the hard way when I made it once without rinsing and ended up with a starchy, gluey mess instead of fluffy individual grains.
  • The lemon juice goes in at the very end so it stays bright; if you add it too early, it fades and becomes just a whisper instead of the wake-up call it should be.
  • Fish out that bay leaf before serving or warn your guests, because biting into a bay leaf is never the surprise anyone wants in a spoonful of soup.
03 -
  • Use low-sodium broth so you can taste everything else; store-bought broths vary wildly in salt content, and you need control over seasoning at the end.
  • Don't rush the simmer; those 18 to 20 minutes matter because the rice needs time to absorb the broth slowly and the chicken needs to cook through gently without toughening.
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