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Avgolemono Soup by TheMessyBaker.com

Avgolemono Soup

  • Author: Charmian Christie
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Greek

Description

This classic Greek soup is dairy-free, yet velvety smooth. Loaded with lemon and dotted with chicken and rice, this is a perfect way to use up leftovers from last night’s dinner.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, use low-sodium commercial broth in a pinch)
  • 3/4 cup slivered cooked chicken (optional)
  • 3/4 cup cooked rice
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (3 if using commercial chicken broth)
  • Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (don’t use bottled)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring stock to a gentle boil. Add the rice and chicken. Heat until it just begins to boil again. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
  2. In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs with the lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth.
  3. Slowly, slowly, slowly pour a ladle of hot stock into the eggs, whisking as you pour.Slowly add a second ladle of hot stock. (This warms the eggs gently. If you add the hot stock too quickly the eggs will curdle.)
  4. Remove the pot of stock from the heat and slowly pour the warmed egg mixture into the soup, stirring well.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes

Why the extra egg with commercial broth? A good homemade chicken stock is gelatinous when chilled and produces a full-bodied soup. Commercial broth might have flavour, but is liquid and watery. I find avgolemono made with homemade stock needs only 2 eggs, but commercial stock needs a third.