*Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon-Egg Chicken Soup) Recipe*
This warm, lemony, creamy, chicken soup has quickly become my fam’s fave. So much so that I’ve made this soup 3X in the last 3 weeks.
My family loves lemon. In fact, we add lemon juice to foods other people normally don’t. So it makes sense why this soup is such a hit. My mom and sister requested it to be made for Christmas this year and it really hit the spot while I was recovering from a cold.
A tip: Using 2 whole chicken breasts was a lot of chicken, making the chicken:broth ratio close to 1:1. If you like more broth-y soups, we recommended adding just 1 chicken breast, or maybe 1.5 and save the rest to enjoy on a salad!
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound; 450g)
2 quarts homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup rice or orzo (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100g)
5 large eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 120ml) fresh lemon juice
Minced dill, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine chicken breast halves with chicken stock. Heat gently, using an instant-read thermometer to keep the temperature of the stock around 150°F (65°C). Cook until the chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), about 1 hour, then remove from stock.
2. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice or shred the meat and set aside.
3. Add rice or orzo to stock and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes for rice and 13 minutes for orzo. Lower heat to a bare simmer.
3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, combine eggs with 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice and beat until lightly foamy.
4. While whisking constantly, ladle in about 1/2 cup of the hot chicken broth into the eggs (it’s okay if some rice or orzo comes along for the ride). Ladle in three or four more 1/2-cup additions of the hot chicken broth while whisking, then whisk the egg-broth mixture back into the broth in the saucepan. Season with salt.
5. Cook the chicken soup over low heat, whisking and scraping the sides constantly, until thickened by the eggs. Taste soup, then, if desired, whisk in remaining lemon juice until your desired level of lemon flavor is reached. Season with salt again, if needed.
6. Add chicken meat, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with dill and serve.
