Greek Chicken Vegetable Soup with Lemon and Herbs

Greek chicken vegetable soup is a cozy, lemony broth filled with tender chicken, carrots, celery, zucchini, rice, and herbs. This Greek-inspired version is straightforward to make in one pot, and the fresh lemon added at the end keeps the savory broth bright; Greek soups have many regional and family variations, including the well-known egg-and-lemon soup avgolemono.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup or 150 g)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup or 130 g)
2 celery ribs, diced (about 1 cup or 100 g)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon or 9 g)
1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about 1 g), plus more to taste
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup (140 g) uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1½ cups or 200 g)
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (about 2 g)
¼ cup (15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons (6 g) chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables and chicken. Dice the onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini; chop the garlic and herbs. Cut the chicken into even 1-inch pieces so it cooks at a similar rate throughout. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain it well. This removes surface starch and helps keep the broth from becoming overly cloudy or thick.
Soften the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper; stir for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Keep the garlic moving so it does not brown or turn bitter.
Simmer the chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the chicken pieces, then lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer rather than a vigorous boil. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice so the chicken cooks evenly. Check the thickest chicken pieces with a food thermometer; USDA FSIS says poultry must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If any piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again before moving on.
Cook the rice. Stir in the drained rice and return the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring now and then so grains do not settle on the bottom. Rice brands and pot temperatures vary, so check a grain near the end of this time; it should be tender but not falling apart. If it is still firm, give it a few extra minutes before adding the zucchini.
Add the zucchini and finish the soup. Stir in the diced zucchini and simmer for 8 minutes, or until it is tender but still holds its shape. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, and dill. Taste the broth and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon a little at a time. Serve hot with extra herbs if desired.

Tips

Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can make chicken pieces tougher and cause rice to break apart. Once the broth boils, lower the heat until small bubbles rise steadily. The chicken should be fully cooked, but it does not need to be aggressively boiled.
Rinse the rice and watch its texture. Rinsing reduces loose starch, while checking the rice before adding zucchini helps prevent a mushy pot. If you expect leftovers, consider cooking rice separately and adding it to individual bowls; rice left in soup will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.
Use fresh lemon at the end. Lemon juice can taste muted if simmered for a long time, so add it after the pot comes off the heat. Start with the listed amount, taste, and add a little more if you want a sharper finish. Bottled juice works in a pinch, but it is usually less fragrant and may taste flatter.
Adjust salt for your broth. Low-sodium broth gives you more control, but different brands still vary. If your broth is already salted, begin with less added salt and season only after the lemon and herbs go in. For a quick shortcut, cooked leftover chicken can replace the raw chicken; stir it in near the end just long enough to heat through.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup in warmed bowls while the rice and vegetables are tender and the broth is still loose. A little chopped parsley or dill and a thin lemon wedge make simple garnishes; let diners squeeze in more lemon to taste. Crusty bread, warm pita, or a small piece of toasted sourdough is useful for catching the broth, while a crisp green salad with cucumber, tomato, and a light vinaigrette makes the meal feel complete without competing with the soup’s lemony flavor.

If you want a more substantial meal, put a small plate of olives, sliced cucumber, and feta on the table. The salty cheese and briny olives complement the mild chicken and vegetables, but they are optional rather than ingredients in the pot. For serving children or anyone who prefers a milder bowl, offer the extra lemon and black pepper at the table instead of adding more to the whole batch.

Variations

Make it more like avgolemono. Avgolemono is a Greek egg-and-lemon sauce used in soups and other dishes. For a richer, silkier variation, whisk 2 large eggs with the lemon juice in a heat-safe bowl. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup (240 ml) of hot broth, a little at a time, to warm the eggs without scrambling them. Take the soup off the heat, then gradually stir in the egg mixture. Do not boil the soup after adding it, because high heat can make the eggs curdle. For an egg-based version, heat the finished soup gently and make sure the egg mixture reaches 160°F (71°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for egg dishes.

Change the vegetables. Green beans, chopped spinach, or small broccoli florets can stand in for zucchini. Add firm vegetables with the rice so they have enough time to soften; add quick-cooking spinach during the final minute or two. A handful of frozen peas can go in during the last few minutes. These swaps change the texture and sweetness slightly, but keep the soup’s lemon, oregano, and herb character.

Use a different grain or pasta. Orzo is a common practical alternative to rice: use ¾ cup (about 150 g) and cook it according to the package directions, adding it at the stage where the rice would go. It releases some starch, so the broth may become a little thicker. Small pasta shapes also work. For brown rice, do not substitute it one-for-one in this timing; it needs substantially longer to cook, so cook it separately or follow its package timing before adding the zucchini.

Make a meat-free pot. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the chicken. Add a can of drained chickpeas (15 ounces or about 425 g) for a more filling soup, stirring them in with the zucchini so they heat through without becoming too soft. The result is not chicken soup, but it keeps the same lemon-herb direction and works well when a meatless option is useful.

Storage and Reheating

Let the soup stop steaming heavily, then transfer it to shallow, covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The rice will absorb broth as it sits, so the soup will be thicker the next day; loosen individual portions with a splash of water or broth while reheating. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months for best texture. Rice and zucchini may soften after thawing, but the soup remains usable; leave a little headroom in freezer-safe containers for expansion.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is steaming throughout and reaches 165°F (74°C). Check the center with a food thermometer, particularly if the soup is thick. You can also microwave a covered bowl, stirring halfway through and checking the temperature in more than one spot. If adding extra broth, heat the soup fully after adding it. Avoid leaving cooked soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into even 1-inch pieces and follow the same steps, checking that every piece reaches 165°F (74°C). Breast meat is leaner and can become dry if it simmers longer than necessary, so use the thermometer rather than relying only on the clock. If some pieces are already cooked through while others are not, remove the done pieces and return them to the pot after the rice is tender.

Can I make this soup ahead?
Yes, but the rice continues absorbing liquid as it rests. For the best texture, prepare the soup through the chicken step, cool and refrigerate it promptly, and cook the rice separately. Reheat the soup to 165°F (74°C), then add cooked rice to each bowl. If you make the full recipe ahead, simply thin it with broth or water when reheating.

Why did my soup become thick?
Rice releases starch and keeps soaking up broth after cooking, especially during refrigeration. That is normal rather than a sign that the soup has spoiled. Stir in warm broth or water until it reaches the consistency you like, then heat the portion to 165°F (74°C). Next time, cook the rice separately if you want the broth to stay thinner for several days.

Can I use brown rice?
Yes, but it generally takes longer than white rice and may need more liquid. The simplest approach is to cook brown rice separately according to its package directions and add it to the soup when serving. If cooking it directly in the pot, add it early enough to become tender before the zucchini goes in, and expect the total cooking time to increase.

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh dill and parsley?
Fresh herbs give the finished soup a brighter, more delicate aroma. If you do not have them, omit the dill and use about 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried parsley, or simply finish with extra lemon and black pepper. Dried herbs are more concentrated, so use a modest amount and taste before adding more. Dried oregano is already included in the recipe and should not be increased automatically.

Is this the same as Greek avgolemono soup?
No. This recipe is a Greek-inspired chicken and vegetable soup finished with lemon and herbs, but it does not use the egg-and-lemon thickening technique associated with avgolemono. Greek home cooking includes many versions of chicken soup, and ingredients and methods vary. The variation above explains how to make this pot richer and closer in style to an avgolemono soup.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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