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Vegetarian Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup)
4.5 from 26 votes

Vegetarian Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup)

Craving a bowl of cozy Mediterranean comfort food? This vegetarian avgolemono soup is rich, creamy, and packed with bright lemon flavor! Inspired by the Greek classic, it keeps the same signature tang and velvety texture (just with a vegetarian twist). Bonus: it all comes together in one pot!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Greek

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 cup carrot about 2 to 3 carrots, diced
  • 1 cup celery about 3 to 4 ribs celery, diced
  • ½ cup green onion about 4 green onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups vegetable broth 1.4 L
  • 1 cup white rice any type, we used arborio, see notes for using brown rice, 200 g
  • 2 oz cans chickpeas undrained, 425 g cans
  • 2 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp black pepper ground
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 large egg
  • ½ cup lemon juice 120 mL
  • 2 Tbsp dill chopped, fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Flavor Base: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium in large pot. Add 1 medium yellow onion (diced), 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, ½ cup chopped green onion, and 3 cloves garlic. Cook until onion is tender and celery is bright green, about 7 minutes.
  2. Assemble: Stir in 6 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup white rice, 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (do not drain, add the chickpea liquid), 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp ground black pepper, and ¼ tsp salt. Cover and cook until rice is tender
  3. Eggs: Separate the egg whites and yolks from 3 large eggs. Whisk the egg whites until they're frothy. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Drizzle the yolks into the whites, then whisk in ½ cup lemon juice.
  4. Temper Eggs: While whisking, slowly drizzle a ladle-full of the hot broth from the soup into the eggs. Continue adding broth until the egg mixture is warm.
  5. Serve: Stir egg mixture and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill into the pot of soup and remove from heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm!

Notes

  • If using brown or wild rice, it will take a lot longer to cook and you will need to use more broth.
  • Can I use orzo instead of rice? Yes! Orzo is a great substitute and will cook a little faster than rice. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
  • Can I make this soup vegan? Yes! You can swap the eggs for ½ cup of Just Egg, tempering it the same way by slowly whisking in hot broth. While the texture won’t be quite the same, it will still be tasty!