30 Minute Low Carb Lemon Chicken Soup

This low carb lemon chicken soup is the perfect healthy comfort food. You’ll love how light, flavorful, and easy to make it is! The lemony broth is packed with veggies and chicken. Ready in only 30 minutes!

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been republished with all new photos.

I’ve been craving a lemon chicken soup since I visited my best friend Becca in Mississippi last month. She made an avgolemono soup and I’ve been dying to use it as inspiration for a luscious lemony low carb soup! So that’s what started me down this path and now I’ve made TWO lemon soups, the incredible lemon chicken soup recipe I’m sharing here and another one which you’ll see in my cookbook coming out in October 2020.

This is the best soup for cold winter nights! It’s a light brothy soup but loaded with so many yummy simple ingredients! Oh, you’re going to love the chunks of tender chicken, spinach, carrots, garlic, onion, and celery. Plus you’ll enjoy the amazing flavors of luscious lemon and herbs. It’s all my soupy dreams come to life. And while it doesn’t include noodles (who says chicken soup needs noodles anyway?) it does have plenty of fresh vegetables. Whether you’re on a low carb diet or not, you’re going to be a fan. This one is a family favorite in my home.

Creating easy recipes is so important to me. If a recipe is tasty but requires too much prep then I’m just not interested in it. I know many of you feel the same. We are busy people with busy lives and 101 things we’d rather be doing than standing over a large pot in the kitchen, right? Well I’ve got good news for you! This low carb chicken soup recipe is ready in only 30 minutes!

Cold front coming your way? I have more keto soup recipes on my website too. Try The Best No Bean Low Carb Turkey Chili, Salsa Verde Chicken Soup, Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup, 30 Minute Dairy Free Tomato Soup, Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup, or Instant Pot Chicken and Vegetable Soup. Make a big batch of warm soup and the cold weather won’t feel so bad. You can also find all my low carb and keto recipes here.

Low Carb Lemon Chicken Soup Ingredients

• Olive or avocado oil: The oil helps us sauté the onion and celery until tender. I recommend extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil but you can use any oil you’re comfortable cooking with.
• Celery: Celery is considered an aromatic along with onion and garlic, meaning it adds aroma and flavor to dishes. The taste of the celery itself won’t stand out, but it works with the other aromatics to add extra flavor that is especially appreciated in soups and stews.
• Onion: White or yellow onion both work well.
• Minced garlic: You can mince your own garlic or use a jarred variety.
• Chicken stock or broth: Both chicken stock and chicken broth can be used in this chili. Stock is typically made by simmering chicken bones for hours along with carrots, celery, and onion. Broth is made by simmering the whole chicken instead of only the bones. You can sub vegetable broth if that’s what you have on hand.
• Chicken breasts or thighs (boneless): We’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs (if you’d prefer dark meat) in this soup. It’s a lean protein that flavors the soup base as it simmers. To save cooking time you can also purchase store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Just add the cooked shredded chicken at the end of cooking.
• Carrots: We’re slicing the carrots into circles so you get some in every bite.
• Simple seasonings: We are using a few dried spices and herbs to add so much flavor to this white bean soup recipe. These include dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Lemon juice: This soup has a lot of bright lemon flavor.
• Fresh spinach: Spinach is filled with antioxidants, vitamin K (one cup has almost double the daily requirement), and iron. It’s considered one of the best superfoods! Feel free to use kale if you prefer.

How to Make Low Carb Lemon Chicken Soup

To make this soup we’ll start by sautéing the celery, onion, and garlic in a soup pot with oil. Once it’s fragrant and the onion is tender it’s time to incorporate the remaining ingredients.

Everything except the spinach goes right into the pot. Stir. Crank up the heat to bring it to a quick boil. Then let it all simmer on medium heat or medium-low heat until done. Stir in the spinach at the very end. Enjoy a bowl of this hot soup on a chilly day as is or top with fresh herbs (like fresh parsley) and green onion. The whole family will love this with crusty bread for dipping too!

Can you use chicken broth instead of stock?

Absolutely. I do it all the time. The flavor difference is usually fairly minor. Just adjust the seasonings at the end if necessary.

Should the chicken be cooked before adding it to this delicious soup?

We’re adding raw chicken to this soup so that it adds even more flavor to your chicken stock (or broth) as it cooks. This is why we crank the heat up a bit in the beginning and then lower it.

Can you add whole chicken breasts instead of chopping the raw chicken?

Absolutely. I love to add the chicken already chopped because it breaks down further as the soup cooks and you’ll see lots of pieces of chicken in every bite. It’s perfectly fine to add the chicken breasts to the soup, let it all cook, and then chop or shred your chicken at the end.

How to Store Leftover Lemon Chicken Soup

Want to enjoy this great low carb soup the next day or later in the week? Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat until warmed through.

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