Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
The best kind of comfort food you can make right in your crockpot! Even the uncooked orzo cooks in the slow cooker!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup orzo pasta, uncooked
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes.
- Place chicken into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken stock, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours. Uncover and stir in pasta; cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until tender.
- Stir in spinach until wilted. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.