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side close up view of bowl of avgolemono soup.
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5 from 4 votes

Avgolemono soup

Avgolemono soup is the Greek equivalent of chicken noodle soup, with a lovely lemon undertone. Fresh and comforting. 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer/Starter, Lunch
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 3 or possible more/less, depending on serving size
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Caroline
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken stock homemade if possible, or if not good quality, low sodium (see notes)
  • ¼ cup medium grain rice or short grain, eg arborio, calrose
  • 1 cup cooked chicken shredded (see notes)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • a little fresh dill, salt and pepper to serve

Instructions

  • Warm the stock in a medium-large pot so that it starts to simmer. Add the rice, cover and bring back to a simmer. Reduce the heat and leave the rice to cook (timing will depend on the type of rice - see packet for expected time). 
  • Once the rice is just tender, add the chicken to the pot and stir through. 
  • Whisk the egg white in a small bowl with a hand whisk until gently fluffy. Add in the egg yolk and lemon juice. Temper the egg with a small spoonful of the warm stock and whisk in, then repeat a couple times. Add the mixture into the pot of soup and stir it through. Season with some salt and pepper.
  • Serve the soup, getting a good balance of rice, chicken and the stock in each bowl, and top with a little dill. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste (and a little more lemon if you like, too). 

Video

Notes

For homemade chicken stock and to cook chicken from scratch - 
Traditionally, you cook the chicken in water as the first step to make your own cooked chicken and chicken stock. If you have time, I highly recommend this - use 4 cups/960ml water, around 1lb/450g chicken on the bone (thighs or drumsticks) and add in a chunk of carrot and onion. Bring to a simmer and simmer for approximately 45 minutes, skimming off foam as needed. Then remove the chicken and vegetables and strain the stock. Clean out the pot to use for next step and add back the strained stock. Remove skin and shred up the cooked chicken then discard the bones and vegetables (though you can, if you like, chop and add the carrot in the soup later as well), The rest is as above.
As noted above,  you can also use orzo pasta instead of rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
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