Description
Follow this traditional recipe to make authentic Avgolemono, a creamy, tangy Greek lemon chicken soup featuring a rich broth and tempered egg-lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups homemade or high-quality low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast or thigh meat
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice or orzo pasta
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, room temperature
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Add the rice or orzo to the simmering broth. Cook according to the package directions until tender, usually 15 to 20 minutes for rice, or 8 to 10 minutes for orzo.
- Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and heat through for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting; the broth must not boil after this point.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until they are light and frothy.
- Slowly whisk in the fresh lemon juice to the eggs until fully combined. This is your avgolemono mixture.
- Temper the egg mixture: Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth, one spoonful at a time, into the egg-lemon mixture while whisking constantly and rapidly. This gradually raises the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them.
- Once tempered, slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the soup pot in a thin, steady stream while stirring the soup continuously.
- Continue stirring gently over very low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the soup thickens slightly. Do not allow the soup to boil, or the eggs will curdle.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley before serving immediately.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and lemon juice for the best emulsification results.
- If you prefer a richer flavor, use homemade chicken broth.
- If the soup seems too thick after resting, stir in a little hot water or extra broth to reach your desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 31
- Cholesterol: 180