Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Artichoke Soup
This Lemon Chicken Artichoke Soup is a hearty, slow cooker soup recipe that’s bursting with fresh lemon flavor. It’s high protein, packed with veggies, and takes just 10 minutes of hands on prep work. Dump everything into the slow cooker and it does the rest for you!

I can never get enough soup recipes, especially in the colder winter months. And it’s a bonus when they’re quick and easy with minimal prep.
Dump and go slow cooker soup recipes are the easiest way to make soup. All the ingredients are dumped into the slow cooker, then the slow cooker does the rest.
This Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Artichoke Soup is a prime example. Simply season the chicken breasts, chop up some veggies, and then pop everything into your slow cooker.
A few hours later, shred the chicken, add some lemon juice and baby spinach, and dinner is served.
This soup is cozy and satisfying, high in protein, and packed with nutritious veggies like leeks, carrots, celery, artichoke hearts and baby spinach.
The lemon provides a bright, fresh flavor, and the artichoke hearts give it a Mediterranean feel.
This is a delicious twist on chicken soup, and it’s great for meal prep. 🙂
If you’re looking for more recipes like this, my Greek lemon chicken soup is made in the slow cooker for an easier version of the classic.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This lemon chicken artichoke soup is packed with tender shredded chicken, plenty of veggies and is bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
- The soup requires just 10 minutes of hands on prep work, then everything goes straight into your slow cooker.
- It’s great for special diets as it is dairy and gluten-free, paleo-friendly and Whole30 compliant.
- It is the perfect cozy meal prep dinner and it’s freezer friendly as well.
Recipe ingredients
This recipe calls for minimal ingredients, but the finished soup is full of big flavor!
- Chicken breasts. I recommend using bone-in skinless chicken breasts as the bones add chicken flavor to the soup. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are great options as well.
- Leeks. Clean the leeks very well as sand and grit tends to collect in between their layers. For more information, see my post on leek recipes, which includes how to clean them.
- Aromatics. Celery, carrot and garlic are the foundation of great flavor in this soup!
- Bay leaf. Adds flavor to the broth. Sub with your favorite dried herbs such as thyme or oregano as desired.
- Artichoke hearts. Be sure to use canned artichoke hearts packed in water or frozen artichoke hearts work as well.
- Chicken stock. Make your own homemade chicken stock to make this soup next level or use your favorite store brand.
- Spinach. Sub with chopped kale, Swiss chard or your favorite greens.
- Lemon juice. Add refreshing flavor. I suggest adding the juice of 1/2 lemon first and adding more depending on the level of zesty flavor you prefer.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make lemon chicken artichoke soup in a slow cooker
The prep for this lemony chicken and artichoke soup is minimal, and a lot of it can be done in advance!
Once your ingredients are all prepped, just pop everything in the slow cooker and cook on low until the chicken is cooked through.
Pro tip: Use bone-in chicken breasts for big chicken flavor. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs are great as well, but check for doneness sooner as they will cook faster depending on their size.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker.
- To the slow cooker, add the leeks, celery, garlic, bay leaf, artichoke hearts, stock, and water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker along with the baby spinach and lemon juice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs work very well in this soup. I prefer using bone-in chicken breasts because the bones release so much flavor into the broth, but that is personal preference.
If using boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cooking time will be reduced. I recommend checking for doneness after 3 hours on low heat and going from there.
Canned or jarred artichoke hearts packed in water generally hold up well in the slow cooker. The key is to cook the soup just until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This typically takes about 4 hours on low heat.
Yes, this chicken artichoke lemon soup freezes incredibly well, which makes it great for meal prep. Simply cool the soup to room temperature, then place it in a freezer safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions
This soup is great served with a hunk of bread on the side for dipping, or with a leafy side salad for added freshness.
- Make a fresh batch of one-hour focaccia or honey cornbread muffins to enjoy alongside your bowl of soup.
- Toss together a butter lettuce salad or Italian tricolore salad to serve on the side.
- Pair it with your favorite sandwich for an easy lunch or dinner.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Use bone-in chicken breasts for big chicken flavor. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs are great as well, but check for doneness sooner as they will cook faster depending on their size.
- Prep your veggies 1-2 days in advance to make soup prep even easier.
- If you prefer less lemon flavor, start with the juice of half a lemon and add more as needed.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More slow cooker soup recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Artichoke Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. bone-in skinless chicken breasts see note 1
- 3 leeks white and light green parts only, cleaned, halved, and sliced into half moons
- 1 carrot halved and chopped into 1/2" chunks
- 1 stalk celery chopped into 1/2" chunks
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts packed in water drained (or frozen artichoke hearts)
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 5 ounces baby spinach coarsely chopped if desired
- 1 lemon juiced; see note 3
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the both sides of the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker.1 – 1 1/2 lbs. bone-in skinless chicken breasts
- Add the leeks, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, artichoke hearts and chicken stock.3 leeks, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 14 ounces artichoke hearts packed in water, 6 cups chicken stock
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for about 3-4 hours or until the chicken is tender and a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. If using boneless skinless breasts or thighs, begin checking for doneness after 3 hours on low heat.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and place on a cutting board. Shred the chicken with two forks or chop into chunks and place back in the slow cooker. Add the lemon juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Enjoy!5 ounces baby spinach, 1 lemon, salt and pepper
Notes
- Pro tip: Use bone-in chicken breasts for big chicken flavor. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs are great as well, but check for doneness sooner as they will cook faster depending on their size.
- Prep your veggies 1-2 days before to make soup prep go even more quickly!
- If you prefer less lemon flavor, start with the juice of half a lemon and add more as needed.
- Store lemon chicken artichoke soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
28 Comments on “Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Artichoke Soup”
I made this vegan by subbing mushrooms for the chicken! OMG Delicious!
That sounds like a delicious idea! Thank you for sharing and for your review. 🙂
This is an incredible recipe. It’s so hard to find healthy soups. So many are loaded with cream, beans, rice &/or potatoes. I marinated bone-in thighs (couldn’t get breasts) in lemon pepper marinade first. And my husband added cheese & bacon as a topper (he adds that to everything) and I added fresh cilantro. The cilantro was incredible with the lemon. I also doubled the fresh lemon. Absolutely delicious soup! Making it again this week.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup Jen and thank you for your feedback! 🙂
I made this for my fiancé last week, and it was so easy and delicious, that I made it again tonight. Have you tried making a creamy version of this soup with coconut milk? I think it would taste divine, only I’m not sure whether I would replace one of the cups of water with coconut milk, or add it to the existing amount of liquid. Thoughts?
Hi Adriana! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy the soup! I think adding coconut milk sounds amazing, and I would replace the existing liquid with it. Thanks so much for the feedback!
I’ve been using my slow cooker more now so I am adding this to my soup board. I love the lemon flavor as it will help with our runny noses around here.
Oh no — I hope your runny noses get better! This should do the trick. 🙂
You have NO idea how excited I was so click over and see Whole30 at the top of this post!!! I was going to adapt to be because it sounded so good, but now I can just devour this as is. I’m SO making this soon, because lemon and artichoke are my favorite things!! Breaking out the slow cooker 🙂
I never really try to make recipes conform to certain diets, but I thought I need to start pointing that out to make it easier for people that are following them! I was surprised how hearty this was with no grains etc.! Thanks Rachel, and have a great weekend!
The flavors in this soup sound so amazing! Perfect for a light meal!
Thanks so much Christin! It’s definitely light and hearty!
I love citrusy chicken and this lemon chicken soup looks so comfy and delicious, Marcie. Love that you added artichoke. I bet it tasted awesome. Have a lovely weekend.
Thanks so much Anu! Lemon and chicken is one of my favorite combinations too. 🙂
Hi Marcie, we have lemon tree and it is in full swing right now. Heard you are having some crazy weather in CA, hope the rain helps with the drought.
My lemon tree isn’t producing very well yet, so I’m jealous Cheri! It’s not stopping me from adding lemons to everything lately though. Hope you have a great weekend!
It was so cold here and now it’s like 60 something. The weather is mad I tell you!! And this soup! I love that it’s in the slow cooker and it looks so comforting yet bright at the same time! Loving the lemon!
The weather is mad — we haven’t really gotten out of the rain yet so we’ll see what happens after that! Thanks Ashley, and have a great weekend!
Oh yes, I love what lemon does for soup! So refreshing and bright, yet still comforting. That flavor combined with leeks and artichokes is making my mouth water. Brandon is obsessed with artichokes so I know he would love it too. I’ll have to put a vegetarian spin on it so we can try it because it sounds amazing!!
I’ve been adding lemon to everything lately — it gives everything such a nice pop of flavor! I think putting a vegetarian spin on this is a great idea too — it would be delicious!
I’m in love with how fresh and flavorful this soup looks, Marcie! It’s been super cold here too so all I want is a bowl of soup three times a day! Can’t wait to fill my crockpot with this!
Thanks so much Sarah!
What a great flavor combination! I must try this soon!
Thank you Annie!
It hasn’t been that cold here recently, but I am still ALL about eating soup on repeat! This one looks just delicious, Marcie!! It looks super hearty and full of flavor, yet healthy and light, which I love!! Also totally digging the artichoke, lemon and kale in here! I will definitely be adding this one to the rotation! Pinned! Cheers!
Thanks, Cheyanne, and have a great rest of the week!
I’ll take your cold weather any day of the week, as I’m sure my Chicago weather is just a tad bit colder! 🙂 Although it’s in the 40s this week and is supposed to be in the mid 50s this weekend. Crazy weather! But no matter the temperature, I’m all about soup! And I love making it in the slow cooker, too. This artichoke version looks so good, Marcie! I love that it reminds you of spring. I could go for a big bowl of this right now!
Yeah, I’m a wuss as I live in CA — our weather is nothing compared to yours! Thanks, Gayle!