Greek Chicken Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

Greek chicken lemon soup (aka Avgolemono soup) is thick, velvety, packed with tender chicken, a punch of lemon, and silky eggs, which make it taste like a bowl full of comfort. 

I’ve been fighting a cold, and it was a rainy, dreary day, so I decided to make a pot of soup for dinner. I’ve seen recipes for Greek avgolemono soup for years, and I finally decided to make it. This Greek chicken lemon soup recipe, adapted from Carlsbad Cravings, is a delicious chicken and rice soup thickened with a mixture of fresh lemon juice and eggs. Hearty, healthy, comforting, and ready in less than 45 minutes. This tasty soup pairs nicely with crusty roasted garlic bread and a simple salad.

Greek Chicken Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

Soup:

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 large or 4-5 smaller carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 8 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest, divided
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat (about ¾-1 pound)

Other Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain jasmine rice
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dill fronds, chopped
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Greek Chicken Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup):

Prepare the soup by heating the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, until tender.

Add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Add ½ tablespoon of fresh lemon zest, the chicken bouillon, a bay leaf, and the chicken breasts, then bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Remove the poached chicken breasts and set aside to cool. Shred with two forks, and season the meat with a little sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, add the rice to the soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Side Note: If you don’t plan on eating the whole batch of soup right away, I recommend cooking the rice separately and adding it to the serving bowls to prevent the rice from soaking up all the delicious liquid. 

Meanwhile, make the avgolemono by whisking together the lemon juice, eggs, and egg yolks until well combined.

Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling a ladleful of the hot chicken broth into the egg and lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat 3-4 times until the egg mixture is tempered.

Add the tempered egg mixture, along with the chicken, fresh parsley and dill, and the remaining ½ tablespoon of fresh lemon zest to the soup, and stir to combine. Taste and re-season if needed.

Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Enjoy.

Greek Chicken Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: 6

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven

Ingredients

Soup:

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 3 large or 4-5 smaller carrots peeled and sliced or diced
• 3 large cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest divided
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 chicken breasts trimmed of fat (about ¾-1 pound)

Other Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain jasmine rice
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dill fronds chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

• Prepare the soup by heating the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, until tender.
• Add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and stir constantly for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven.
• Add ½ tablespoon of fresh lemon zest, the chicken bouillon, a bay leaf, and the chicken breasts, then bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
• Remove the poached chicken breasts and set aside to cool. Shred with two forks, and season the meat with a little sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, add the rice to the soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Side Note: If you don't plan on eating the whole batch of soup right away, I recommend cooking the rice separately and adding it to the serving bowls to prevent the rice from soaking up all the delicious liquid!!!!
• Meanwhile, make the avgolemono by whisking together the lemon juice, eggs, and egg yolks until well combined.
• Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling a ladleful of the hot chicken broth into the egg and lemon mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat 3-4 times until the egg mixture is tempered.
• Add the tempered egg mixture, along with the chicken, fresh parsley and dill, and the remaining ½ tablespoon of fresh lemon zest to the soup, and stir to combine. Taste and re-season if needed.
• Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Enjoy.

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