Avgolemono 🍋 Greek Lemon–Egg Soup 🇬🇷 (Chicken-Lemon Soup)

Description

Bright, velvety chicken soup thickened with eggs and lemon—satin body, gentle citrus, cozy tavern vibes. 🥣🍋

Hook: Silky without cream—temper eggs, stir off heat, and dinner’s elegant in 40 minutes. ⚡

Ingredients

• 🐔 Bone-in chicken thighs (or a split breast), skin removed: 700 g (1.5 lb)
• 💧 Water or low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 l (6 cups / 51 fl oz)
• 🧅 Onion, halved (to flavor the broth): 1 small (80 g / 2.8 oz)
• 🌿 Bay leaf: 1
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌾 Short- or medium-grain rice (or orzo): 90 g (½ cup / 3.2 oz)
• 🥚 Eggs, room temp: 3 large (≈150 g / 5.3 oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice (and a little zest): 80 ml (⅓ cup / 2.7 fl oz) + 1 tsp zest
• 🫒 Extra-virgin olive oil (optional finish): 10 ml (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🌿 Dill or parsley, finely chopped (garnish): 1 tbsp (4 g / 0.14 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Simmer broth: Combine 🐔 chicken, 💧 water/stock, 🧅 onion, 🌿 bay, 🧂, and ⚫ in a pot. Simmer gently 20–25 min; skim. Remove chicken; discard onion/bay.
2. 2️⃣ Cook rice: Add 🌾 rice to the broth; simmer 12–14 min until just tender. Meanwhile, shred chicken into small bites.
3. 3️⃣ Make avgolemono: In a bowl whisk 🥚 eggs until foamy. Slowly whisk in 🍋 lemon juice and zest.
4. 4️⃣ Temper: While whisking, ladle in 2–3 cups (480–720 ml) of hot broth in a thin stream to warm the egg mixture.
5. 5️⃣ Finish off heat: Turn the soup off heat. Stir the tempered egg–lemon back into the pot, then add the shredded chicken. Stir gently 1–2 min until the soup turns glossy and slightly thick—do not boil or it may curdle. Adjust 🧂 salt/⚫ pepper and lemon.
6. 6️⃣ Serve: Ladle into warm bowls; drizzle a few drops of 🫒 oil and scatter 🌿 dill/parsley.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 10 min
🔥 Cook: 30 min
⏳ Total: 40 min

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