Description
Hearty Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono) brings Mediterranean comfort to your kitchen, blending zesty citrus with rich, creamy broth. Fragrant herbs and tender chicken create a soul-warming dish you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 (6 ounces/170 grams) chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and shredded
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 small sweet onion, diced small
- 2 stalks celery, diced small
- 2 medium carrots, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large bay leaf
Liquids, Grains, and Seasonings:
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (95 grams) Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium temperature. Sauté onion, celery, and carrots until vegetables soften and become translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until lightly golden and aromatic, about 20 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
- Coat rice in the sautéed vegetable mixture, then pour in chicken stock and add bay leaf. Bring liquid to a gentle simmer and cook until rice reaches tender consistency, around 10 minutes.
- Introduce shredded chicken into the simmering pot and continue cooking at low heat.
- Whisk lemon juice and eggs together in a separate bowl until mixture becomes light and frothy.
- Remove saucepan from heat source. Gradually stream 2 cups of hot broth into egg mixture while continuously whisking. Carefully pour egg mixture back into soup, stirring gently to prevent curdling.
- Incorporate fresh dill into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Distribute soup evenly into serving bowls. Garnish and serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Prevent egg curdling by tempering carefully, gradually adding hot broth to eggs while whisking constantly to create a smooth, silky texture.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest, most vibrant flavor that cuts through the richness of the chicken and creates a zesty profile.
- Choose short-grain rice like Arborio for extra creaminess, or swap with quinoa for a gluten-free protein-packed alternative that maintains similar texture.
- Enhance soup’s nutritional value by adding extra vegetables like spinach or kale during the last few minutes of cooking for added color and nutrients.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg