Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup – Kotosoupa Avgolemono ( αυγολέμονο) – is a delicious chicken soup thickened with a mixture of lemon and eggs. Hearty, healthy and a true family favorite.
If you like this, why not try some of these other favorites – Crack Chicken Soup and Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup are a couple of our most popular recipes!
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I recently went to visit my parents in Athens for a few days and the first dish my mum served was a steaming bowl of Avgolemono Chicken soup. It instantly reminded me of my childhood and also that I used to really dislike any dishes containing avgolemono sauce.
My, how times have changed! After a few spoonfuls I realised that this traditional Greek soup is absolutely delicious. More fool younger me! I instantly asked my mum for her avgolemono recipe which I am finally sharing here… with a few tweaks of course.
WAIT, WHAT EVEN IS AVGOLEMONO?
Aυγολέμονο literally means eggs and lemon – and this simple mixture of fresh eggs and lemon juice is used not just in soup recipes but in many other Greek dishes as well.
The eggs are beaten with lemon juice and then used to thicken soups, adding a ton of flavor and goodness into the bargain. As a sauce, avgolemono is frequently served with lahanodolmades (stuffed cabbage rolls) and giouvarlakia.
CHICKEN AVGOLEMONO SOUP INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil to sauté the vegetables
- Vegetables – shallots, leeks and carrots
- Rice – usually risotto rice such as arborio, an Italian short-grain rice
- Chicken broth – for a truly athentic Greek chicken soup you use a whole chicken to make the broth and then use the meat in the soup. You can use homemade chicken broth or a low-sodium canned chicken broth or even stock cubes (mum, please avert your eyes… she would say homemade is the only way to go).
- Chicken – I used skinless chicken thighs in the video but you can use chicken breasts as well. The chicken can be poached in the broth or you can use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken meat.
- For the avgolemono – you will need three eggs and the juice of a lemon plus extra lemon juice, to taste
- Salt, freshly ground pepper and a bay leaf
- Fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley, to serve
How to Make Avgolemono Soup
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
PREPARE THE SOUP
This lemon chicken and rice soup is very easy to make, I promise. Heat the olive oil in a large pot (I used my GreenPan Dutch oven). Add the vegetables and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add salt, the bay leaf and chicken broth and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the chicken. Cook for about 15 minutes then use a slotted spoon to remove from the soup. Shred using two forks.
Stir the rice into the soup and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Discard the bay leaf.
MAKE THE AVGOLEMONO
Meanwhile… while the soup is bubbling away, add the eggs and lemon juice into a bowl and beat together to combine.
FINISH THE SOUP
Take the soup off the heat. Slowly add a ladle full of the hot soup broth into the egg mixture stirring all the while. Gradually add more of the hot broth into the avgolemono, a little at a time, so the egg mixture is heated.
Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup pot. Gradually stir the egg-lemon mixture into the soup until it is all added on. Have a taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. You may also want to add some more lemon juice too – I know it sounds odd but despite all this lemon juice the soup doesn’t not taste super-lemon
Stir in the dill or parsley just before serving with a side of Greek Horiatiko bread or Easy Sourdough Discard Focaccia on the side.
RECIPE TIPS AND FAQs
HOW TO MAKE AVGOLEMONO SOUP USING A WHOLE CHICKEN
Place a whole chicken in a large pot or your slow cooker. Add three large carrots, two celery stalks, half an onion, two bay leaves and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for about an hour on the hob or about 3 hours on HIGH in a slow cooker.
Remove the chicken from the broth and leave until cool enough to handle. Discard the skin and take the meat off the bones.
Use a slotted spoon to take out the vegetables and bay leaf. Chop up the carrots and return to the soup. Add the rice and cook until tender. Prepare the avgolemono as above and stir into the soup together with the chicken.
WHAT RICE TO USE
Usually we use arborio rice for in this lemon chicken soup but any rice can probably be used, or even orzo pasta. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
STORING CHICKEN AVGOLEMONO
Once the soup has cooled down, it can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. The soup will thicken considerably when stored as the rice will absorb a lot of the liquid. Add some hot water when reheating if needed.
I don’t like to freeze this soup once the egg and lemon have been added. You can however freeze it before you add it and stir it in afterwards.
HAVE YOU MADE MY GREEK AVGOLEMONO SOUP RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! I have also just launched my TikTok channel and would love to meet you there.
Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup)
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUP
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 banana shallots or one small onion, finely chopped
- 1 large leek , white parts only, finely chopped
- 3 carrots , diced
- 4 cups (1 lt) homemade chicken broth (or use store-bought broth / stock)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 chicken thighs , skinless and boneless or 3 large chicken breasts
- ½ cup (100g) Arborio rice (short-grain rice)
FOR THE AVGOLEMONO
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp lemon juice , freshly squeezed
TO SERVE
- salt and freshly ground pepper , to taste
- fresh dill or flat leaf parsley , chopped, to serve
- extra lemon juice
Instructions
PREPARE THE SOUP
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot (I used my GreenPan Dutch oven). Add the vegetables and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.1 tbsp olive oil, 2 banana shallots, 1 large leek, 3 carrots
- Add salt, the bay leaf and chicken broth and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the chicken. Cook for about 15 minutes then use a slotted spoon to remove from the soup. Shred using two forks.4 cups (1 lt) homemade chicken broth, 1 tsp salt, 1 bay leaf, 8 chicken thighs
- Stir the rice into the soup and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Discard the bay leaf.½ cup (100g) Arborio rice
MAKE THE AVGOLEMONO
- Meanwhile… while the soup is bubbling away, add the eggs and lemon juice into a bowl and beat together to combine.3 tbsp lemon juice, 3 eggs
FINISH THE SOUP
- Take the soup off the heat. Slowly add a ladle full of the hot soup broth into the egg mixture stirring all the while. Gradually add more of the hot broth into the avgolemono, a little at a time, so the egg mixture is heated through.
- Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup pot. Gradually stir the egg-lemon mixture into the soup until it is all added on.
- Have a taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. You may also want to add some more lemon juice too – I know it sounds odd but despite all this lemon juice the soup doesn't not taste super-lemony!salt and freshly ground pepper, extra lemon juice
- Stir in the dill or parsley just before serving with a side of Greek Horiatiko bread on the side.fresh dill or flat leaf parsley
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