Avgolemono — Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
Avgolemono is a classic Greek lemon chicken soup featuring tender chicken, orzo pasta, and a bright, creamy lemon and egg sauce, perfect for a comforting meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Units
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2–3 celery stalks, diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 chicken breasts (about 12 oz / 350 g total)
- 6 cups (1.5 liter) chicken stock
- 3/4 cup (175 g) orzo
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 egg yolks
- A handful fresh dill
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and cook vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until softened.
- Add garlic, bay leaves, chicken and stock: Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the bay leaves, chicken and chicken stock.
- Simmer chicken: Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken and bay leaves, add orzo: Take out the chicken breasts and bay leaves. Add the orzo to the pot and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Shred chicken and return to pot: Shred the chicken with two forks and add it back to the pot.
- Temper egg yolks with soup and add to pot: While the orzo is cooking, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Take out 1-2 ladles of soup and pour it over the egg-lemon mixture to temper it. Add this mix to the pot and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- Finish with dill and seasoning: Stir in the fresh dill, adjust the seasoning and serve immediately, with some extra fresh dill on top if you like.