My Mom’s Greek Lemon Chicken Soup; a.k.a., Avgolémono Soup

Chock full of hearty veggies, rice, and tender chicken in a bright lemony broth, this Greek lemon chicken soup is COMFORT in a bowl! Plus, it’s a totally easy weeknight dinner because you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make things just a little bit easier.

Never heard of avgolémono soup? It’s time to get acquainted with this velvety rich soup. Classic Greek avgolémono soup is a traditional Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, which combines egg yolk and lemon juice to make a thicker broth. Avgolémono; a.k.a., avgolemono or egg-lemon sauce, is the most common (and delicious!) Greek method to thicken a soup. The resulting broth is unbelievably creamy and DELICIOUS and tastes like there is cream in the soup, even though there totally isn’t.

This Greek lemon chicken soup is great for fighting colds, makes for a perfect and simple weeknight meal (especially if you use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to cut down on time), and really is perfect for serving on cold nights. It really is SUCH a great twist on chicken soup.

See Also → 100+ Delicious Family-Approved Soup Recipes to Make all Fall and Winter Long

A few tips when making your own homemade Avgolémono Soup:

If you want to cut down on time, grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store (or use leftover cooked chicken breast) and make this soup with pre-made chicken. 

Don’t forget, when you get to the addition of the eggs, be sure to work in a separate small bowl. Start by beating the egg yolks until light in color. In that same small bowl, gradually (i.e., very slowly) add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. After that, you’ll return the egg mixture to the soup pot and continue cooking. The reason you’re adding a small amount of hot broth to your eggs is to avoid “cooking” the eggs. So if you add too much hot broth too fast, you’ll wind up with an egg drop soup consistency. I promise, this step isn’t hard, and is totally worth it; it’s exactly what results in that thicker, velvety rich broth that makes traditional Greek avgolémono soup such a standout.

It’s also worth noting that if you plan on having leftovers, you may want to add the cooked rice individually to the bowls before you serve each bowl and then save the soup, without rice, in the refrigerator for leftovers to avoid puffed up rice the next day. Another easy solution to too soggy rice is to just use orzo (a kind of small pasta) instead. Both rice or orzo taste amazing in this Greek lemon chicken soup.

My Mom’s Greek Lemon Chicken Soup; a.k.a., Avgolémono Soup

Made with chicken, rice, and seeped in a velvety rich lemon broth, this warming soup is a classic and well-loved Greek staple for good reason. And because it’s packed with vegetables and protein, it’s also the perfect one-pot dinner. Your family is going to love this unique chicken soup recipe.

Yield:

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup; a.k.a., Avgolémono Soup

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Ingredients

• 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ cup diced celery
• 8 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 3 - 6 tablespoons chicken soup base (depending on salt level you like)
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ¼ cup melted margarine (can also use Earth Balance butter to keep this dairy free)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cooked white rice (can also use orzo)
• 1 cup diced, cooked and chopped chicken breast (can also use chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken breast)
• ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 16 slices lemon
• 8 egg yolks

Instructions

1. In a large pot, simmer the carrots, onion, and celery in the olive oil on low for a few minutes, until the onion looks somewhat translucent. Next, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, soup base, and white pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Blend the melted butter and the flour together. Then gradually add it to the soup mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until light in color. In that same small bowl, gradually (i.e., very slowly) add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return the egg mixture to the soup pot and heat through.
4. Add the rice* and chicken. Allow to simmer for another 15+ minutes. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

Notes

*If you plan on having leftovers, you may want to add the cooked rice individually to the bowls before you serve each bowl and then save the soup, without rice, in the refrigerator for leftovers to avoid puffed up rice the next day.

What about you? What soup recipes does your family love? Do you read cookbooks or find ideas online? I’d love to hear what your favorite meals and hearty soups are! I’m always looking for new ideas to keep the family fed and happy.

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