Feel Good Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Soup
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This Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Soup is light, comforting and so incredible easy to make. It’s made with tender chicken thighs, fresh herbs, pearl couscous, and a touch of citrus. I recently started my Fall 2025 series, and knew this soup would be a good one for the early days of Fall when it’s still a bit warm outside but you’re just craving something cozy and comforting.
And don’t forget to serve this feel-good soup with a side of warm, crusty bread like my Overnight No-Knead Bread or 1-Hour Dinner Rolls.
For more of my favorite soup recipes, check out my Soup series that features recipes like my Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup!
Table Talk with Tawnie
I feel like there are two kinds of people when it comes to soup. Those who can eat it year-round and those who only prefer it when it’s cold outside. For all my year-round soup lovers, I think this is the perfect recipe. It still has all the cozy, comforting elements you love about soup (so it’ll be great for colder weather months or when you’re feeling a bit under the weather), but it also has a little bit of a lighter, more refreshing taste thanks to the fresh lemon, herbs, and couscous. The weather is definitely still warm where I live, so when I’m craving soup, this is definitely the one I’ll be making for a few weeks until things start to cool off!
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this soup recipe. I love how tender and juicy the chicken thighs but you can also use boneless chicken breasts.
- Chicken broth: Use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or my Homemade Chicken Stock for an even richer broth!
- Pearl couscous: Couscous is a type of pasta that looks like tiny, round pearls. It adds a delicious chewy texture to this soup and is great for soaking up the lemony broth. If you don’t have pearl couscous, you can use orzo, or any other small pasta shape.
- Fresh herbs and seasonings: Fresh rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, red pepper chili flakes, salt, pepper. I also love to add a little fresh parsley at the end for extra flavor and garnishing.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon ALWAYS! You’ll need the lemon for both juice and zest.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Assemble the soup base
Combine all the soup base ingredients in the slow cooker.
Cook
Cover and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Shred chicken
Remove the chicken and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Then return it to the soup.
Add lemon & couscous
Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and pearl couscous. Cover and cook until the couscous is tender.
Garnish and serve!
Discard the bay leaves and stir in fresh parsley. Serve and ENJOY!
Expert Tips
- Veggies: I love using this vegetable chopper to make chopping the carrots, onions, and celery so much quicker and easier. You can also buy pre-chopped mirepoix mix to save even more time.
- Don’t overcook the couscous: Pearl couscous can get mushy if overcooked. Be sure not to overcook the couscous (it should just need about 20-30 minutes), especially if you plan on reheating leftovers.
- Cook couscous on the side: If you don’t like when the pasta soaks up a lot of the broth (or gets mushy when reheating), you can easily cook the couscous (or any pasta shape) on the side and add to your bowl when serving (this is my prefer method if I making this soup for meal prep).
- Adjust thickness to your liking: If the soup gets too thick, stir in extra broth or water before serving. If you like it heartier, let it simmer uncovered for a bit to reduce.
Fall Series
Back by popular demand is my Fall series for 2025! This year I’ve worked on more pumpkin goodies, slow cooker comfort meals, and drool worthy apple desserts. There’s something for everyone to enjoy & if you want more, have to check out the previous year’s Fall featured recipes too!
Storage / Freezing
- Store: Allow to soup to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Allow soup to cool completely, then add to freezer-safe containers or baggies and freeze for 4-6 months. Be sure to label the baggie with a Sharpie so you know when you made it!
FAQs
Do I need to cook this chicken before adding to the crockpot?
No, let the crockpot do the work for you! Always be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer to make sure it has reached 165° F.
Can I use dried herbs?
Fresh herbs are always my first choice for the most in-depth flavor, but dried thyme and dried rosemary are also fine to use if fresh isn’t available.
Can I cook this soup on the stovetop?
Yes, to cook this soup on the stovetop just heat a little olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and saute the onions, celery and carrots for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chicken, herbs and seasonings. Then add in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer, and cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F). Remove the chicken, shred, and add back in. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and couscous. Stir. Let cook for a few more minutes, until couscous is cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings and remove bay leaves. Garnish with parsley and enjoy.
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Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon (paste or powder)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 3-4 large carrots (peeled and diced)
- 3-4 celery stalks (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (chopped (stems removed))
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (chopped (stems removed))
- 1½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Assemble the soup base: In a large 6QT slow cooker, combine the chicken thighs or breasts, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, chili flakes (if using), and bay leaves.2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, 8 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon, 1 yellow onion, 3-4 large carrots, 3-4 celery stalks, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, 1½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, Pinch of red chili flakes, 2 bay leaves
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Add lemon and couscous: Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and pearl couscous. Cover and continue to cook on high for an additional 20–30 minutes, or until the couscous is tender.Zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup pearl couscous
- Finish and serve: Discard the bay leaves. Stir in fresh parsley just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
Notes
-
- Cook couscous on the side: If you don’t like when the noodles soak up a lot of the broth (or get mushy when reheating), you can easily cook the couscous (or any pasta shape) on the side and just add to your bowl when serving (this is my prefer method if I making this soup for meal prep).
- Store: Allow to soup to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
-
- Freeze: Allow soup to cool completely, then add to freezer-safe containers or baggies and freeze for 4-6 months. Be sure to label the baggie with a Sharpie so you know when you made it!
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
