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Avgolemono Soup
Silky Greek chicken soup with egg-lemon sauce and orzo - the ultimate comfort food.
Avgolemono soup is the quintessential Greek comfort food - a silky, tangy chicken soup enriched with the classic egg-lemon sauce that gives it its name. This soup is what Greek grandmothers make when you're feeling under the weather, and there might be no more soothing bowl of soup anywhere in the world.
Our avgolemono starts with a rich chicken broth made from scratch, which we cook with orzo pasta or rice until tender. The magic happens when we whisk eggs with fresh lemon juice and slowly temper them with the hot broth, creating a sauce that transforms the soup into something remarkably creamy without any cream.
The resulting soup is velvety smooth with a pleasant tanginess from the lemon that cuts through the richness. We add shredded chicken back into the soup for protein and serve it steaming hot with a grinding of black pepper. It's comfort in a bowl, Greek style.
Our avgolemono starts with a rich chicken broth made from scratch, which we cook with orzo pasta or rice until tender. The magic happens when we whisk eggs with fresh lemon juice and slowly temper them with the hot broth, creating a sauce that transforms the soup into something remarkably creamy without any cream.
The resulting soup is velvety smooth with a pleasant tanginess from the lemon that cuts through the richness. We add shredded chicken back into the soup for protein and serve it steaming hot with a grinding of black pepper. It's comfort in a bowl, Greek style.
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1.5 hours
Serves: 8
Medium
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg)
10 cups water
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, halved
3/4 cup orzo pasta or rice
For Avgolemono:
3 eggs
Juice of 2-3 lemons
Salt and white pepper
Fresh dill for garnish
10 cups water
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, halved
3/4 cup orzo pasta or rice
For Avgolemono:
3 eggs
Juice of 2-3 lemons
Salt and white pepper
Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
1. Place chicken in large pot with water, carrots, celery, and onion. Bring to boil, skim foam. Simmer 1 hour until chicken is cooked.
2. Remove chicken, let cool. Strain broth and return to pot. Shred chicken meat.
3. Bring broth to boil. Add orzo, cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Make avgolemono: Beat eggs until frothy. Slowly add lemon juice while beating. Gradually add 2 cups hot broth, beating constantly to temper.
5. Remove soup from heat. Slowly stir in avgolemono mixture.
6. Return shredded chicken to soup. Season with salt and white pepper.
7. Serve immediately garnished with fresh dill. Do not reboil or eggs will curdle.
2. Remove chicken, let cool. Strain broth and return to pot. Shred chicken meat.
3. Bring broth to boil. Add orzo, cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Make avgolemono: Beat eggs until frothy. Slowly add lemon juice while beating. Gradually add 2 cups hot broth, beating constantly to temper.
5. Remove soup from heat. Slowly stir in avgolemono mixture.
6. Return shredded chicken to soup. Season with salt and white pepper.
7. Serve immediately garnished with fresh dill. Do not reboil or eggs will curdle.
