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Homemade Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe
5 from 33 votes

Homemade Greek Avgolemono Soup Recipe

Homemade Greek Avgolemono Soup is a traditional chicken and rice soup enriched by an egg-lemon sauce that thickens and brightens the broth. It starts with a homemade chicken stock prepared with aromatics, followed by simmering diced vegetables and rice. Finely chopped cooked chicken is then incorporated, and the soup is finished by tempering in whisked eggs and lemon juice for a silky texture and tangy flavor.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 40 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 461 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

For the Stock:
  • 1 chicken whole roasting
  • 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 2 carrot roughly chopped
  • 2 celery stalk roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 4 parsley sprigs
For the Soup:
  • 1 gallon chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cups short-grain rice
  • 1/2 red onion peeled, small diced
  • 2 leek small diced
  • 2 carrot peeled, small diced
  • 2 celery stalk peeled, small diced
  • 2 garlic finely minced
  • 3 egg yolk
  • 1 egg
  • lemon juice and zest of 2
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Stock: Add all the ingredients to a large stock pot along with 1 gallon of cold water.
  2. Put the stock pot onto the stove and cook over medium heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to go and skim some of the scum from the top of the stock.
  3. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois, discard the vegetables, set the chicken to the side, and put the stock back in the pot and back on the burner over low to medium heat.
  4. Soup: Add in the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic to the stock and cook for about 5-7 minutes and then add in the rice and cook until the vegetables are tender, and the rice is cooked, about 5-10 additional minutes.
  5. In the meantime, remove the meat from the cooked chicken and finely chop it. Add all the cooked chopped chicken or as little as half of it to the soup and turned the heat down to low. See note on leftover chicken.
  6. In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined and frothy.
  7. Add about a ½ cup of chicken stock in the soup to the bowl with the egg yolks and lemon and continuously stir it while pouring in the stock to help temper the eggs.
  8. Once combined, add egg mixture to the pot with the soup and gently mix it in using a spoon.
  9. Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve it with optional chopped fresh parsley, or dill, or both.

Notes

  • This soup can be made up to one day ahead and stored refrigerated before reheating.
  • Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to five days or freeze for up to three months; thaw overnight before reheating.
  • Reheat slowly over low heat and adjust seasoning before serving.
  • Using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken is a convenient alternative; in that case, use prepared chicken stock instead of homemade.
  • Orzo or other rice types can substitute short-grain rice; additional vegetables like turnips and potatoes can be added.
  • Remove scum from the stock surface during cooking to keep the broth clear.
  • Eggs can be whipped in a blender if they don't become frothy when whisked by hand.
  • Cook rice separately if preferred and add it to the soup when serving.
  • Any unused cooked chicken can be frozen for future use.

Nutrition Information

Calories 461kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g (24%) Monounsaturated Fat 8g (40%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 152mg (51%) Sodium 627mg (26%) Potassium 785mg (17%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 5172IU (103%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 64mg (6%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 461

% Daily Value*

Calories 461kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 152mg 51%
Sodium 627mg 26%
Potassium 785mg 17%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 5172IU 103%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 64mg 6%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.