Avgolemono Soup

This Lemon Rice and Chicken Soup also known as Avgolemono is a classic Greek soup thickened with eggs, loaded with rice, chicken and flavored with lots of lemon. This soup is a hearty delicious soup requiring minimal effort and ready in only 30 minutes!

I don’t know if it’s still soup season or not, but who cares really. I love eating soup year round. This right here, my friends, is one of my favorite soups ever because of all the lemon flavor. It reminds me of my Romanian soups in which we always add lemon juice or vinegar.

This chicken and rice soup has been on my blog for a few years now and continues to be one of my most popular recipes. There’s a good reason for that. It really is that great, it really only takes 30 minutes and it really is that delicious!

Lemon Rice and Chicken Soup Known as Avgolemono

This lemon rice and chicken soup is known as Avgolemono. Avgolemono is a traditional Greek soup that I’m sure most of you have had if you’ve ever been to a Greek restaurant. I’m not claiming my recipe here is a classic traditional Greek soup but this is simply my version of the popular soup.

Avgolemono is an egg-lemon sauce and avgolemono is basically a soup made with egg yolk and lemon juice mixed with broth. As it cooks it will thicken nicely.

Ingredients In Avgolemono Soup

This soup is incredibly easy to make and uses simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need (make sure to scroll down for the printable recipe):

• Olive oil  – a good extra virgin olive oil is great.
• Vegetables – I used onions and carrots, you can also use a bit of celery if you want.
• Arborio Rice – this is an Italian short-grain rice.
• Chicken Broth – buy a good low sodium or no sodium added chicken broth, or make your own.
• Lemon Juice – you’ll need about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, which you should get from 1 large lemon or a couple regular lemons. It all depends on how juicy they are.
• Eggs – the egg part of the soup, which is used to thicken the soup.
• Chicken breasts – you’ll need cooked chicken breast. I usually buy a rotisserie chicken and use the breast from that. However, you can use uncooked chicken and just cook it along with the soup, then at the end take it out, shred it and add it back.
• Salt & pepper – add as much or as little as you want to flavor your soup.
• Dill – lots of fresh dill. I absolutely love fresh dill and always use lots of it. I really recommend you use it.

How to Make Avgolemono Soup

This soup could not get any easier, especially since I’m using already cooked chicken breast. I usually buy a whole roast chicken and use the chicken breast for this soup. However, sometimes if I don’t have a roast chicken and don’t feel like going grocery shopping, I’ll just boil a couple chicken breasts and use that broth actually to make the soup.

This soup is actually thickened with eggs, again this is a method I use in my Romanian soups as well. You basically beat the eggs with the lemon juice, then add a ladle of the hot broth to the eggs and stir, then slowly pour it in the soup.

Here’s how you make it:

Saute veggies: Heat the oil in a soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the onion and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes until the carrot and onion are tender.

Add rice and broth: Add the rice and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.

Prepare eggs with lemon juice: In a small bowl beat the eggs together with the lemon juice.

Finish the soup: Add the shredded chicken to the pot, then add about a ladle of the soup broth to the egg mixture and stir. Pour the egg mixture into the soup. You will notice the soup thickening up. Season with salt and pepper as needed and if you feel the soup needs more lemon, add more lemon juice as desired.

Garnish and serve: Garnish with lots of dill, with some feta cheese and lemon slices if you prefer, then serve.

What Is The Best Rice Used For This Soup

I like to use Arborio rice because it thickens the soup nicely as the rice cooks. However, pretty much most types of rice can be use such as brown rice, long grain rice such as Basmati or Jasmine.

If you use a brown rice or wild rice, it will take a lot longer to cook and you will also need to add more broth.

How Do You Store Leftover Avgolemono Soup

As the soup cools the rice will thicken even more and absorb most of the liquid. If you don’t eat all the soup in one sitting, just keep that in mind. You have a couple options. You can either add more broth to avoid having the soup turning into a big blob, or you can use a slotted spoon to separate the rice from the soup and store them separately.

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never done that. I’m ok with the soup being thicker and as you heat it up it will thin out a bit. Anyway you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days.

Can You Freeze This Soup

You can freeze it meal sized in a large airtight container or individual portions. You can also use freezer bags.

Keep in mind that this soup will separate when reheated, even if it isn’t frozen, so make sure you stir it well before serving. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or cook from frozen in the microwave or on the stovetop.

This soup is fabulous!!! And SO easy and quick to make! Try it!

LOOKING FOR MORE SOUP RECIPES? TRY THESE:

• Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Red Lentil and Chicken Soup
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup