Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon & Feta
Want a quick and easy soup made with leftover rotisserie chicken? Try this healthy Greek chicken soup recipe. This lemon soup with meaty, shredded chicken, feta cheese and a double shot of lemon has a bright, punchy flavor and is naturally gluten-free. This versatile recipe can be customized to your tastes and makes a big pot of homemade (egg-free) Greek lemon soup (Avgolemono), that’s ready to eat in about an hour.
My friend, Nola, has been talking about this soup (her version of it) for the past few months. It’s not a classic Greek Avgolemono because this lemon soup recipe doesn’t include egg and is lighter and brothier than the traditional version.
Nola says she’s been making this lemon soup every week for a month and loves it because the flavors are so bright. Plus, it makes a big pot of lemony chicken soup she can eat for days.
She shared her special additions and swaps to the classic lemon soup (which includes a lot of garlic), and I embellished further. I must say, it’s FANTASTIC!
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Mushrooms
- Kosher Salt
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Greek Oregano
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Chicken Stock from Rotisserie Chicken or low-sodium canned broth
- Quinoa
- Shredded Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
- Lemon
- Feta Cheese
- Parsley
My riff on classic Greek lemon soup
For this soup, I start with mushrooms. That might seem out of step with most Greek lemon chicken soup recipes you’ve seen before (and if you don’t like mushrooms, you can skip them).
Personally, I LOVE mushrooms. In this recipe, they make this soup taste even more meaty and robust.
I used Cremini mushrooms for this recipe, but button mushrooms or any other variety would work well too.
Kicky spice blend
What gives this Greek-style lemon soup such a flavorful kick? The very healthy dose of chopped garlic (8 large cloves), crushed red pepper flakes and dried Greek oregano.
Sautéeing the herbs and spices with a mirepoix softens the pungency of the raw garlic and enhances the flavors.
The crushed hot pepper amplifies that tongue-tingling sensation. If you want more heat, add more red pepper flakes.
Why quinoa?
Most Greek chicken soups include pasta (nothing wrong with that). For this version of lemon chicken soup, I use quinoa instead. Partly because it’s healthier than pasta, but also because I love the mouthfeel those little grains have in this soup.
Quinoa has a solid amount of protein and fiber, along with a long list of vitamins and minerals, and it’s gluten-free. Read more about quinoa’s health benefits in this Healthline article.
What else can I use besides quinoa?
If you don’t like quinoa (or don’t have it on hand), you can substitute another grain or pasta; just keep different cooking times and textures in mind.
Some whole-grain substitutions will require more broth and cooking time than this chicken quinoa soup recipe calls for.
Swaps and Variations:
- Farro – a chewy, nutty grain, would be an excellent substitution, but it takes longer to cook (about 30 minutes). You can cook the farro in the soup and add more chicken stock as needed, or cook it separately and add it to the soup at the end, just before serving.
- Pearled Barley – needs about 25-35 minutes to absorb liquid, so factor that into your soup’s cooking time and add more broth as necessary, or cook separately and stir into the soup just before serving.
- White Rice – It’s neutral, cheap, and you probably have a bag on hand. It generally cooks in 15 minutes, so you shouldn’t need to adjust the cooking time.
- Brown Rice – Is the whole rice grain and contains the bran, germ and endosperm. It also takes longer to cook, about 45-50 minutes. To use brown rice in the Avgolemono, I recommend cooking it separately and adding it just before serving; otherwise, you might need several cups more broth than is called for, as the rice will soak up quite a bit.
- Pasta is also common in Greek lemon chicken soup recipes; the key is to use small shapes like orzo, ditalini, pastina, mini-shell pasta, even macaroni.
Using leftover rotisserie chicken for soup
- This riff on Avgolemono works well with white-meat breast or dark leg-and-thigh meat.
- Chop or shred (pull) the leftover chicken. (I personally prefer pulled chicken because it’s more rustic.
- You’ll need about 4 cups of meat for the lemon chicken quinoa soup.
Most of the key flavors in this recipe are added at the end of cooking, including the leftover rotisserie chicken. I purposely wait to add the meat because the chicken is already cooked, and you don’t want it to get tough in a long simmer.
Can I use raw chicken in the lemon soup?
Yes. If you don’t have leftover rotisserie chicken, use raw chicken breasts.
- Dice the meat into 1″ pieces and sauté in a little olive oil before you cook the mushrooms.
- Transfer the chicken to another dish and continue with the recipe.
- Add the chicken back to the pot when you add the broth and grains to simmer.
- All of the ingredients in the quinoa soup will be ready at the same time.
Important finishing touches to Greek chicken soup
What makes this simple chicken quinoa soup lean Greek is the feta cheese and bright, tangy lemon flavor.
Feta Cheese
Feta cheese doesn’t melt, but when it’s hot, it softens and gets pillowy, adding a creamy mouthfeel to the lemon chicken quinoa soup. I add the cheese to the whole pot of soup, plus a little extra to garnish each bowl when serving.
Lemons for the soup
The zest is where all the flavor is (and it’s a main reason this blog is called Garlic and Zest, because I believe in flavor).
To get bright lemon flavor, use the zest too.
A fine microplane grater will remove just the zest (no bitter white pith), and that’s what gives this soup its signature bright, sunny Mediterranean flavor.
How does it taste?
So, big props to Nola for turning me on to this one! I love the soft, plush nuggets of feta cheese, the bright, citrusy notes and the meaty richness of the chicken and mushrooms.
I can’t stop at just one guilt-free bowl of this lemony Greek chicken soup.
You’ll love its staying power and versatility. Make it once using this recipe, then add your own riffs by changing the grains or pasta, bulking it up with more veggies like diced squash or zucchini, or adding a swirl of cream for a richer, silkier taste.
This riff on the classic Avgolemono recipe makes a great lunch or dinner.
Greek chicken soup FAQ’s
Yes. Absolutely.
The soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Yes, this soup freezes well and will keep for up to 3 months.
Yes! Spinach, kale and endive all work well. Spinach isn’t as sturdy, so if you’re adding that, do it at the last minute before serving to individual bowls.
Add more chicken stock, 1-2 cups at a time, along with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice to keep the flavors in balance.
More leftover rotisserie chicken recipes:
- Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Stock
- Curried Chicken Salad
- Southwestern Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
- Lemon Orzo Salad
Lemon Quinoa Chicken Soup
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- Dutch oven or large heavy stock pot with lid
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 8 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 cups chicken stock from rotisserie chicken or low-sodium canned stock
- 1 cup quinoa
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (from a leftover rotisserie is fine)
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese plus more for serving
- ⅓ cup parsley chopped
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with half a teaspoon of the kosher salt. Sweat the mushrooms, stirring occasionally until they give up their liquid and start to take on some color, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the dutch oven and add the chopped onion, celery and carrots. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and sweat the vegetables until the onions and celery become translucent and soften slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and oregano. Heat for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shredded chicken, cooked mushrooms, zest of the lemon and feta cheese, stir and cover withthe lid. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the soup and add the parsley. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with additional feta cheese and parsley as desired.
NUTRITION:
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy. Values are calculated automatically based on the ingredients and quantities in each recipe and may vary depending on specific brands, exact measurements, and substitutions made. For precise nutritional guidance, especially if you have a medical condition or dietary restriction, please consult a registered dietitian or run the ingredients through your own nutrition calculator.Pin “Greek Style Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup” for later!
Honestly hands down the best soup I’ve ever had! Freezes really well too.
This soup was great! The lemon really showed through and we loved the feta in it. I’ll definitely make this again! Though I will remember to ladle from the bottom as that’s where all the quinoa ended up (not the fault of the recipe!). We used a blend of mushrooms and even though I’m not a big mushroom fan, it really adds to the dish.
Delicious and nutritious!!! Fits within Mediterranean diet recommendations. Love the switch with quinoa. Just overall a winner of a recipe! Flavors are explosive (in a good way). Thank you for a great recipe!
Delicious! Will be making on repeat!
Wow! I love what you’ve added to this soup! Going to give this a try this week since I make this soup almost weekly. Thanks for the shout out.
Thank you for your inspiration!