Avgolemono is a very special recipe. This Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup is a delicious and unique soup. Your first bite brings all of the warmth and comfort of traditional chicken soup, while the bright lemon flavor steals you away and drenches you with Mediterranean sunlight.
Preparing This Beautiful Greek Chicken, Lemon, and Rice Soup is So Easy, but has a very Unique Preparation.
I ate Avgolemono (Avgo=Eggs, Lemono=Lemon) all the time at a Greek restaurant years ago, and I always wondered how they created the amazing broth. The texture is just a little thicker than bouillabaisse, and it is very rich. Cornstarch or flour are really common thickeners, but they don't add flavor.
The velvety texture made so much sense, when I learned that eggs were the thickening agent. The fact that eggs is in the name, probably should have given it away, but I don't speak Greek. It certainly pays to ask questions when eating out!
Make Avgolemono Tonight!
Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup has a very unique texture and taste, but really only uses the most common ingredients. You can make something new and exciting with the everyday items in your fridge.
Eggs are a great thickening agent and they give the Avgolemono broth the wonderful rich flavor. The acidity of the lemon cuts through the richness just a bit for a perfectly balanced broth.
The tender chicken and rice make this soup so filling. It really feels nourishing to eat.
Dive into more Mediterranean Flavors with Pork Souvlaki, Traditional Greek Salad, and Rice Pilaf.
Ingredients
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts- I think using breast meat or breast tenders are best for this dish. Fattier pieces of chicken will detract from the broth by making it too greasy.
Eggs- Eggs are the thickening agent for this Avgolemono Soup broth. They take this from plain chicken and rice soup to something much more hearty and special.
Lemon Juice- I recommend fresh lemon juice for this recipe. The juice is a great counterbalance to the richness of the eggs and adds the brightness that is special to Greek cooking.
Instructions
Step 1
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Then, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add diced carrot, yellow onion, and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and chili flakes (optional).
Step 2
- Next, add 10 Cups of water. Bring to a simmer and add one pound or approximately two whole chicken breast pieces.
- Let cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken breasts are fully cooked.
- Then, dice the cooked chicken into ¼ inch pieces and return to the soup.
Step 3
- Separate three eggs. I use my hands to separate eggs. This isn't the most sophisticated process, but I can't seem to juggle the egg back and forth between the shells without breaking the yolk. I also refuse to buy one more special tool. If you cannot separate eggs gracefully; you are not alone.
Step 4
- Whisk egg whites vigorously until they are white and foamy.
Step 5
- Beat eggs yolks and add yolks and ¾ cup of lemon juice to eggs whites and gently mix.
Step 6
- Then, add ¼ cup of Avgolemono soup broth to the egg and lemon juice mixture.
- Next, add the tempered eggs, lemon juice mixture to the soup broth and stir well.
- Finally, make sure the soup is simmering on low heat. Add one cup of white rice, and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on. Give the whole pot a stir around the 10 minute mark to make sure the rice doesn't burn.
(The eggs and rice will take the nice clear chicken broth to a slightly more opaque broth with a velvety texture.)
Tempering eggs will prevent them from becoming chunky scrambled eggs. This is especially important when using eggs as a thickener. Adding a small amount of hot liquid to the eggs to bring their temperature up slowly and ensure that they integrate fully and smoothly into the hot mixture.
I use ordinary long grain white rice. Short grain rice varieties are a bit starchy and can thicken the soup too much.
Expert Tips
Be sure to keep the temperature low while you are simmering the chicken breasts. If the broth is boiling, it will make the chicken dry and tough. A low simmer is ideal for moist tender bits of chicken.
Do not add egg and lemon juice directly to the simmering pot. First, temper the eggs with hot broth.
Be sure to stir the rice occasionally. Rice that settles at the bottom could burn and spoil your Avgolemono.
Serving Suggestions
Since Avgolemono has vegetables, starch, and protein, it can definitely be considered a complete meal. However, I always serve a little bit of toasted pita bread and a salad on the side.
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📖 Recipe
Avgolemono Soup Recipe: Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 2 Carrots
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 10 Cups Water
- 1 Cup White Rice
- 3 Eggs Separated
- 3 Lemons ¾ Cup Juice
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dry Oregano
- pinch Red Pepper Flake (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Then, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add diced carrot, yellow onion, and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and chili flakes (optional).
- Add 10 Cups of water. Bring to a simmer and add one pound or approximately two whole chicken breast pieces.
- Let cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken breasts are fully cooked. Dice cooked chicken into ¼ inch pieces and return to the soup.
- Separate three eggs.
- Whisk egg whites vigorously until they are white and foamy.
- Beat eggs yolks and add yolks and ¾ cup of lemon juice to eggs whites and gently mix.
- Then, add ¼ cup of hot soup broth to the egg, lemon juice mixture.
- Next, add the tempered egg mixture to the broth and stir well.
- Finally, make sure the soup is simmering on low heat. Add one cup of white rice, and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on. Give the whole pot a stir around the 10 minute mark to make sure the rice doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot.
Notes
- Be sure to keep the temperature low while you are simmering the chicken breasts. If the broth is boiling, it will make the chicken dry and tough. A low simmer is ideal for moist tender bits of chicken.
- Do not add egg and lemon juice directly to the simmering broth. First, temper the eggs with hot broth.
- Be sure to stir the rice occasionally. Rice that settles at the bottom of the pot could burn and spoil the Avgolemono.
Nutrition
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Brian Nagele says
Seems like every time I come back to your website you have a new interesting thing for me to read. How do you stay so motivated? Do you research all of these posts before posting?
Michelle Cardella says
The soup is delicious. It has a bight creamy taste. Very satisfying.
Carolyn DeFrancesco says
Delicious!!!