Description
Classic Greek Avgolemono Soup is a comforting lemon chicken soup with rice, featuring a creamy egg-lemon sauce for a tangy, silky texture.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 cup chopped celery (from 2 stalks)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice or orzo
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3-4 lemons)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons cold butter or a drizzle of olive oil for richer texture
- Fresh dill or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the chopped celery and onion and sauté for about 5-7 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Stir in the uncooked rice (or orzo). Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- While the rice cooks, prepare the avgolemono sauce: In a blender or large bowl, whisk together the eggs and fresh lemon juice until well combined and slightly frothy.
- Once the rice is cooked, carefully scoop out about 2 cups of the hot broth from the soup pot. Slowly, and while continuously whisking or blending, stream the hot broth into the egg and lemon mixture. This crucial step, called tempering, prevents the eggs from scrambling.
- Turn off the heat under the soup pot. Slowly pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the soup, stirring continuously, until the soup is slightly thickened and creamy. Do not let the soup boil after adding the egg mixture, or the eggs may curdle.
- Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and let it heat through for a few minutes.
- If desired, stir in a few pats of cold butter or a drizzle of olive oil for added richness. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with fresh dill or parsley.
Notes
- Temper the eggs carefully by gradually adding hot broth to prevent curdling.
- Do not boil the soup after adding the egg-lemon mixture to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor; adjust lemon juice to taste for desired tartness.
- This soup can be made with orzo instead of rice for a different texture.