'Avgolemono' Lemon Chicken Soup
the most rewarding 30 minute dinner!
Okay, if I had to pick my favorite cuisine its definitely Greek food. I am alwayssss amazed at the way they transform fresh and simple ingredients into the most incredible dishes. My favorites being Tzatziki (of course), a simple beef and orzo dish called Yiouvetsi (recipe coming soon) and this Avgolemono soup!
This is one of those dishes you can truly make in under 30 minutes. To make this as efficient as possible I recommend zesting, juicing and chopping while your rice is cooking. I also love making a little mis en place before getting started on a recipe. It’s a culinary technique that translates to “putting in place” it just means having all your ingredients prepped and organized before starting to cook. As you can see in the picture above - I have my rice already measured, my 3 eggs, and dill already set aside. It just makes it easier to focus so you’re not running around going back and forth to the fridge 50 times.
The technique is simple, but I suggest you read through all the footnotes at the bottom of the page. I give you options on using chicken broth made from bones vs chicken broth made from meat, how to cook your chicken from scratch if you don’t already have leftover meat, tips on tempering your eggs, and how to salt properly based on taste!
Ingredients: (4+ servings)
4 cups Chicken Bone Broth (see note)1
2 bay leaves
1 cup lemon juice + zest (from 3 lemons)
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 organic eggs
2 cups leftover chicken2
1 cup short grain risotto rice (I used carnaroli but arborio would work great too)
salt and pepper to taste3
Single Serving:
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup leftover shredded chicken
1 organic egg
1 lemon + zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup risotto rice (carnaroli)
Instructions:
Bring your broth, salt, and bay leaves to a simmer. If you need to cook your chicken, do so now.
Add rice to the broth, cover and let simmer on low for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and fully cooked.
Remove bay leaves from broth.
In a separate bowl, add the lemon zest and juice from 3 lemons along with 3 eggs. Whisk to fully combine.
Make sure the pot is off the heat, and add a small spoonful of the hot broth to the lemon egg mixture to temper4. Then slowly drizzle in the lemon + egg mixture back to the pot. Stir constantly until the eggs are evenly combined and the broth is creamy.
Add fresh dill to the pot. Add a pinch of fresh black pepper and taste to see if more salt is needed. Serve + enjoy!
For Reheating: Because of the eggs you will need to be very careful when reheating this soup or it will curdle. It’s not the end of the world but it’s easy to avoid. I don’t really recommend using the stove top because it heats up very fast and uneven. I got the best results by warming up in the oven at 350ºF for about 10-15 minutes. Check and stir every 5 minutes to make sure the eggs don’t cook on the bottom of the pan.
You will need about 4 cups total liquid for the soup. I used homemade bone broth which was very concentrated so I diluted it and did; 2 cups broth and 2 cups water. Feel free to play around with ratios, 3 cups stock and 1 cup water or if using chicken broth (not made from bones) I would use all 4 cups since its much lighter in flavor!
I used leftover chicken I had sitting in my fridge. But if you want to make from scratch, you can simmer 2 skinless chicken breasts in the broth for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, and then shred into smaller pieces using your hand or two forks!
I added about 1 tablespoon of salt to my broth before cooking the rice. My broth is completely unsalted so it needed a lot for flavor. Because this recipe is so simple and there are no other seasonings like garlic, onions, or other veggies to rely on for flavor, you’re going to need to taste often to get the salt right. Under salted food is going to taste bland and boring so don’t be afraid to be generous, I recommend adding 1/2 - 1 tsp at a time. Especially because we are adding rice and chicken to the soup which are also very bland ingredients!
Tempering means slowly combining beaten eggs with hot liquid to create a smooth, stable base without scrambling or curdling the eggs.