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Rich and creamy lemon rice soup is a classic, and it’s one of my family’s most-loved soup recipes. Making it in the crock pot means that I can set it and forget it, and come home to a cozy bowl of lemony goodness at dinnertime. It’s the best!
If you’re looking for more ways to bring fresh lemon flavor to the table, try this lemon rice and this zesty lemon pasta.
Lemon rice soup is my mom’s favorite soup of all time. It’s a classic recipe with a rich, silky broth enriched with egg yolks and lemon juice, like Greek avgolemono soup (avgolemono literally means “egg-lemon”). While it doesn’t take long to make it on the stovetop, I love this crock pot version. I leave the soup to do its thing, while I do my thing. Fast forward a few hours and dinner is nearly ready. Just stir in egg yolks, lemon, and a touch of cream. Magic!
What Makes This Lemon Soup a Family Favorite
- It’s delicious any time of the year. While I love a hearty stew in the wintertime, I also love making this lemon rice soup year-round. It’s cozy in the cooler months, and bright and zesty enough for the summer. This crock pot recipe is especially summer-friendly since I don’t have to hover over the hot stove.
- It’s mostly hands-free. Made in the crock pot, there’s very little hands-on time needed to put this soup together. Let the rice cook over low heat for a couple of hours, then stir in the eggs and lemon juice at the end.
- The flavors are so fresh. Freshly squeezed lemons and freshly plucked thyme from the garden pack all kinds of bright, zingy flavor into the broth. It’s simple but so good! The rice soaks up all that flavor into a big ol’ bowl of sunshine.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This soup uses simple ingredients that I always have in the fridge and pantry. The trick is to let the rice and lemon shine! Here are some notes on the ingredients. Find a printable list with recipe details in the recipe card below the post.
- Vegetable Broth – Or stock. You can also use chicken broth if you’d like.
- Rice – I usually use long-grain rice, like jasmine or basmati, but most types of rice are good for soup. You can use wild rice, even arborio rice (like you’d use for risotto). If you’re using brown rice it’ll take a bit longer to cook.
- Thyme Sprigs – I like fresh thyme since it rounds out the soup without overpowering the other flavors. Oregano or basil is another good herb choice.
- Egg Yolks – Separate the eggs from the yolks and use the leftover whites for an egg white frittata.
- Lemons – I like my lemon rice soup to pack a lemony punch. I use 2 lemons (or enough to make about ¼ cup when juiced), and slice up an extra lemon for garnish.
- Heavy Cream – Or milk, for a lighter soup.
- Seasonings – Fresh cracked black pepper and a little chili powder for kick. Cayenne pepper or crushed pepper flakes also taste nice here. You can adjust the spice to taste.
How to Make Lemon Rice Soup in the Crock Pot
Making fragrant, creamy lemon rice soup in the crock pot is super easy (look, mom, no hands!). But if you don’t have a slow cooker, I’ve included stovetop instructions, too, just in case. You don’t want to miss out on this soup, trust me!
- Combine. Add rice, vegetable broth, and thyme sprigs to the crock pot.
- Cook. Set the rice to cook on High for 3 hours (or on Low for 6 hours).
- Add the eggs. Whisk lemon juice into the egg yolks. Use a bit of the hot broth to temper the eggs, and then whisk them into the soup. Let that cook for another 10 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Lastly, stir in the heavy cream and season the soup to taste. Serve garnished with extra lemon slices and parsley.
Stovetop Method
No slow cooker? Or maybe you’re in a hurry. That’s fine, too! You can make this lemon rice soup on the stovetop. Boil the rice with the broth and thyme for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender, and then temper and whisk in the eggs and lemon juice as written. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then stir in the cream. The whole soup should take about 30 minutes, tops.
Tips and Variations
- Use fresh lemon juice. Please, for the love of lemon soup, use real, freshly squeezed lemon juice! Bottled juice just doesn’t do the flavors in this recipe justice. You’ll taste the difference.
- Avoid scrambled eggs. As much as we love scrambled eggs at the breakfast table, we definitely do not want them in our lemon rice soup! Make sure to temper the eggs and whisk the mixture very well so that it’s silky, and not scrambled.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Different rice has different cooking times. Overcooked rice will be mushy, so if you can, check it towards the end of slow cooking to make sure it’s not overcooked. If the rice absorbs too much liquid, add a bit more broth to thin it out.
- Add chicken. Make this recipe in the style of Greek chicken and lemon soup, and stir in cooked shredded chicken to heat through at the end. I love doing this when we have leftover roast chicken in the fridge.
What to Serve With Lemon Rice Soup
I like my lemon soup with a side of fluffy cloud bread or lavash bread for dunking. It’s a delicious light meal or lunch on its own, or I’ll round things out with a fresh and summery Zucchini Salad or this easy Mediterranean salad.
And if we’re still hungry, I’ll stuff a soft pita with homemade falafel and a drizzle of taratur for a satisfying sandwich wrap!
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Leftover lemon rice soup can be refrigerated in airtight soup containers for up to 3 days. The rice absorbs more of the broth as the soup sits, so you can either enjoy a thicker soup or add a little extra broth when reheating.
- Reheat. Give the soup a good stir and reheat it gently in a saucepan on the stovetop. Take care that the soup doesn’t boil, otherwise the eggs might cook.
- Can I freeze it? I’ll be honest, between the eggs and heavy cream, this lemon soup isn’t great for freezing. The ingredients tend to separate once thawed. If you do freeze it, be sure to whisk it well before and after reheating for best results. For a freezer-friendly soup recipe, try my chicken orzo soup or this Italian wedding soup.
More Crock Pot Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
- Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup
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Lemon Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth, or use chicken broth
- 1 cup white long grain rice
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 large lemons, juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
- ¼ cup heavy cream, or you can use milk
- ½ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients. In your crock pot or slow cooker, combine vegetable broth, rice, thyme sprigs, onion powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Cook. Cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 6 hours.
- Temper the eggs. In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and lemon juice and whisk until combined. Ladle 1 cup of the soup into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously until well combined. Make sure to whisk very well. You don't want the eggs to scramble.
- Add the eggs. Remove the thyme sprigs from the soup. Whisk the egg yolks into the crock pot. Close the lid and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Make it creamy. Remove the lid and turn off the crock pot. Stir in the heavy cream.
- Season and serve. Season the soup with chili powder and stir. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. Serve garnished with parsley and lemon slices.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Do you cook the rice before adding it to the soup or will the broth boil soften the rice
Hi!
You’ll want to use uncooked (dry) rice—it will cook and soften in the slow cooker as the soup simmers.
The slow cooker method made everything a thick, pasty mush.
Hi! So sorry you didn’t like the texture. Lemon rice soup does tend to have a creamy, slightly thick consistency, but it shouldn’t feel overly pasty. If you prefer a more brothy texture, I recommend adding more broth to the soup to loosen it up.
Can I substitute orzo instead of rice? If so, how much?
I definitely think you can, but I have not tested this recipe with orzo therefore I am not 100%.
I would say to use about 3/4-cup orzo.