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Greek Chicken Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)
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Greek Chicken Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

Course Soup
Cuisine Greek
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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.