Chicken Piccata Soup
Chicken Piccata Soup takes everything you love about the classic chicken dish and turns it into a bowl of deliciousness. Tender shredded chicken, bright lemon, briny capers, and a splash of cream come together in a yummy broth. Add in some orzo for a heartier meal. It’s light enough for lunch but fancy enough for company, and it works in the slow cooker too. Ready in about 45 minutes and serves 6.
I have a thing for tangy food. Sour candy, vinegar chips, anything with lemon. My mouth waters just thinking about it, which is probably why chicken piccata has always been on my short list.
So I put it in a bowl.
All that bright lemon, those briny capers, tender chicken, and just enough cream to smooth it out. It’s everything the classic dish does, just spoonable.
And unlike a lot of soups, this one doesn’t feel heavy, so I’ll make it in July without a second thought. Yes, I eat soup in summer. I’ve made peace with it.
It’s easy enough for a Tuesday and pretty enough to serve to people you’re trying to impress, which is a rare combination. Add orzo if you want it heartier.
If you’re building a chicken dinner rotation, I have some more for you to try!
More Cozy Chicken Soups
- Crack Chicken Noodle Soup – bacon and ranch chicken noodle soup
- Marry Me Chicken Soup – rich sun dried tomato broth with chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup – no hands cheesy chicken soup
- Stewed Chicken and Rice – comforting slow simmered chicken and rice
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – Boneless skinless breasts poach right in the broth, which flavors the broth while cooking the chicken. Thighs work too. Rotisserie chicken is the shortcut if you’re short on time.
Capers – The whole personality of a piccata recipe. They’re salty, briny, and a little floral, and there’s no real substitute. Chopped green olives get you close if you’re desperate.
Lemon – Both juice and zest, and use fresh. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and this soup is built entirely on that bright citrus flavor.
White Wine – Reduced down before the broth goes in, which builds a base layer of flavor. Use something dry that you’d actually drink.
Heavy Cream – Just enough to round out the acidity without making it a cream soup. Add it at the end and don’t let it boil hard.
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How To Make Chicken Piccata Soup
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts and poach 15 to 20 minutes, until fully cooked. Remove, cool slightly, and shred with two forks. Keep that broth.
- In a separate large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until it softens, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in the wine and simmer until it reduces by half, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the reserved broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and capers, then simmer 10 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream, stir, and simmer 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the fresh parsley just before serving.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Adding Orzo
Orzo makes this heartier and stretches it to feed more people, which is why I almost always add it. But cook it separately.
Boil 1 cup of orzo to al dente, drain it, and stir it into the soup right before serving. If you cook the pasta in the soup it’ll drink up your broth and turn to mush by the second day. Then you’ll be left with something closer to a casserole.
Separate pot, added at the end, every time.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Make Ahead: Make it up to 3 days ahead, but leave the cream out. Add it when you reheat so it stays smooth instead of separating. Same with the pasta!
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium low heat. Boiling cream soup hard is how you get a grainy, broken mess.
Don’t Freeze: The cream separates when it thaws and the texture never quite recovers. This one’s best fresh!
Variations
Slow Cooker: Add everything except the cream and capers and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6. Stir in the cream and capers 20 minutes before serving, along with any cooked pasta.
Skip the Cream: Leave it out for a lighter, brothier soup that leans even harder into the lemon flavor.
Different Pasta: Any small shape works if you don’t have orzo. Ditalini, small shells, or broken spaghetti.
No Wine: Substitute extra broth with a splash more lemon juice.
Rotisserie Shortcut: Skip the poaching entirely and use shredded rotisserie chicken with store bought broth. Great for those really busy nights!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, up to 3 days ahead. Leave the cream out and stir it in when you reheat, which keeps the texture smooth.
I wouldn’t. Cream based soups separate when thawed and the texture gets grainy. Make it fresh, or freeze it before adding the cream if you really want to try.
Chopped green olives are the closest substitute, though capers have a distinct briny flavor that’s kind of the whole point of piccata.
No. Cook it separately and add it just before serving, or it’ll absorb your broth and turn mushy, especially in leftovers.
Yes. Everything but the cream and capers goes in for 3 hours on high or 6 on low, then add those in the last 20 minutes.
Add it at the end and keep the heat gentle. Acidic soups plus high heat is how cream breaks, so simmer, don’t boil.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Let the onion and garlic get a little golden before the wine goes in, then scrape up the browned bits. That’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. This soup is built on that bright flavor.
- Cook the orzo separately so it doesn’t drink your broth.
- Use thin chicken cutlets to cut the poaching time down.
- Garnish with lemon slices and a little Parmesan if you want it to look like you fussed.
This Chicken Piccata Soup recipe is bright, tangy, and cozy all at once. Make a pot this week and enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or when company shows up!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Chicken Piccata Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup capers drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
- Add the chicken breasts and poach for 15-20 minutes until fully cooked.
- Remove the chicken, allow it to cool, and then shred it using two forks.
- In a separate large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the chopped onion until it starts to soften, then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the wine and let it simmer until it reduces by half.
- Add the chicken broth (from poaching the chicken), lemon juice, and lemon zest to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and capers, and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream, stir well, and let the soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Just before serving, stir in the chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Let the onion and garlic get a little golden before the wine goes in, then scrape up the browned bits. That’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. This soup is built on that bright flavor.
- Cook the orzo separately so it doesn’t drink your broth.
- Use thin chicken cutlets to cut the poaching time down.
- Garnish with lemon slices and a little Parmesan if you want it to look like you fussed.
Nutrition
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