Greek · Lunch · Dinner
Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup)
Σούπα Αυγολέμονο
A silky, bright Greek soup of tender shredded chicken and rice in a broth thickened with whisked egg and fresh lemon juice. It is comforting and light, and the egg-lemon mixture makes it velvety without any cream.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 32% · Fat 26% · Protein 42%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- 1 medium110 gonion, finely chopped
- 1 medium60 gcarrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk40 gcelery, finely diced
- 3 cups720 ggluten-free low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups720 gwater
- 1 leafbay leaf
- 1 lb450 gchicken breast, skinless and boneless
- 1/2 cup95 glong-grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 large100 geggs
- 1/3 cup (about 2 lemons)80 gfresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tspsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper, ground
- 2 tbsp8 gfresh dill, chopped (optional)
Steps
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.
- 3
Pour in the broth and water, add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
- 4
Add the whole chicken breasts and simmer gently, partly covered, for 15-18 minutes until cooked through to 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part.
- 5
Lift the chicken onto a board and let it cool slightly.
- 6
Stir the rice into the simmering broth and cook for about 15 minutes until tender.
- 7
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks.
- 8
Remove the bay leaf and turn the heat to low so the soup is barely steaming.
- 9
In a bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then whisk in the lemon juice.
- 10
Slowly whisk 2 ladles of hot broth into the egg mixture, one ladle at a time, to warm it without scrambling.
- 11
Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the pot while stirring constantly.
- 12
Heat gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly; do not let it boil or the egg will curdle.
- 13
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and season with the salt and pepper.
- 14
Serve hot, sprinkled with the dill if using.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use brown rice instead of white rice, allowing about 15 extra minutes of simmering before adding the egg-lemon mixture.
- Swap the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs for a richer, juicier soup, simmering until they reach 74 °C / 165 °F.
- Replace the rice with orzo for a classic variation, noting this makes the soup no longer gluten-free.
- If you can't find gluten-free broth, any low-sodium chicken broth works, but choose one labelled gluten-free if you need the soup to stay gluten-free.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating gently over low heat while stirring until steaming hot, without letting it boil hard or the egg may curdle. The rice keeps absorbing broth, so add a splash of water when reheating, and avoid freezing as the egg-thickened broth tends to separate.
Make ahead
You can cook the vegetables, broth and chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate the broth and shredded chicken separately. On the day, bring the broth back to a simmer, cook the rice, then add the egg-lemon mixture and chicken just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: EggsCelery
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (598 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 324 kcal | 54 kcal |
| Protein | 33.2 g | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25.7 g | 4.3 g |
| of which sugars | 3 g | 0.5 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 0.3 g |
| Fat | 9 g | 1.5 g |
| of which saturated | 2 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 676 mg | 113 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
