Greek Lemon Soup Recipe
This classic Greek Lemon Soup, also known as Avgolemono, is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken, aromatic vegetables, and a tangy lemon-egg sauce. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, this soup balances the freshness of lemon with the heartiness of chicken and rice, creating a vibrant and soothing meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 10 cups water or unsalted vegetable broth
- 1 yellow onion, whole and peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
- 2 celery ribs, washed and cut in half
- 1 carrot, peeled and whole
- 1 tablespoon salt, to taste
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs
- ½ cup rice or orzo
Avgolemono Sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the broth: In a large pot, combine 10 cups of water or unsalted vegetable broth with the whole yellow onion, peeled garlic cloves, celery ribs, carrot, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken: Once boiling, add the chicken breasts or thighs to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Cook the rice: Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool slightly. Add ½ cup rice or orzo to the broth and simmer until the rice is cooked through, usually around 15 minutes. Remove the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot from the broth and discard them.
- Shred the chicken: Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot with the cooked rice and broth. Keep the soup warm on low heat.
- Make the Avgolemono sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 egg yolks with the zest and juice of one lemon until smooth and creamy. To temper the eggs and prevent curdling, slowly ladle about a cup of hot soup broth into the egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly.
- Combine the sauce and soup: Gradually pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the soup pot, stirring continuously to evenly incorporate it. Heat gently, but do not boil, to allow the soup to thicken slightly and develop its distinctive creamy texture.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the soup from heat, sprinkle freshly chopped parsley on top for freshness and color, and serve warm.
Notes
- To prevent the eggs in the Avgolemono sauce from curdling, always temper them with hot broth before adding to the pot and avoid boiling once combined.
- You can use chicken thighs for a richer flavor and more tender meat.
- Orzo can be substituted for rice if preferred; adjust cooking time accordingly.
- For a vegetarian variation, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth with extra vegetables.
- Adjust salt according to the broth used.
Keywords: Greek Lemon Soup, Avgolemono, Chicken Soup, Lemon Egg Soup, Traditional Greek Recipes, Comfort Food
Find it online: https://busyrecipe.com/greek-lemon-soup-recipe/