Avgolemono Soup

This Avgolemono Soup recipe is a classic Greek lemon chicken soup made with orzo pasta or rice. Made with no dairy, this lemon chicken orzo soup is thickened with eggs and made with poached chicken and fresh veggies!

 

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

If you’ve been a reader of The Busy Baker for any length of time you’ll already know how much we love a good soup recipe. Especially one that’s as fresh and delicious as this Avgolemono soup made with shredded poached chicken, fresh lemons, and chopped veggies. We love this creamy soup that’s completely dairy-free, thanks to a secret ingredient!

Avgolemono Soup is a traditional Greek soup made with chicken, chicken broth, rice or orzo, eggs, and lemon juice. It’s known for its creamy, velvety texture and tangy flavour, thanks to the lemons.

Avgolemono soup is a unique recipe that’s warm and comforting but at the same time fresh and invigorating, thanks to the blend of tangy flavour of lemon and hearty chicken broth. The name “Avgolemono” itself is a combination of the Greek words for “egg” (avgo) and “lemon” (lemono).

Greece’s agricultural traditions run deep and traditional Greek food reflects the healthy principles of the Mediterranean diet and the rustic, natural flavours of locally grown ingredients. Greek food emphasizes freshness and authentic Greek Avgolemono soup is SO fresh. It creates the perfect balance between the tartness of the lemon and the richness of the broth with the egg mixture, giving it a distinctive, creamy texture without the use of dairy.

Traditional Greek Avgolemono soup is thickened by the addition of rice or orzo pasta, shredded chicken, and chopped veggies, making it a hearty, filling and healthy dish.

If you’re looking for more fresh and delicious Mediterranean-style dishes, here’s a few we suggest:

• Greek-Style Turkey Burgers
• Greek-Style Pork Souvlaki Skewers
• Quick and Easy Greek Salad
• Easy 20-Minute Tomato Asparagus Carbonara Pasta
• Olive Garden Salad
• Tiramisu
• Easy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Easy Classic Italian Pasta Salad
• Best Ever Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Here are all our best pro tips and tricks for making the most of this Avgolemono soup recipe!

The foundation of a good soup is the stock, so use a homemade chicken stock for the best flavour. If you’re using store-bought, choose a low-sodium option so you can control the salt level.

To ensure your soup has a smooth and creamy texture without curdling, temper the eggs by slowly whisking in some of the hot broth to the beaten eggs before adding everything back into the pot. This gradually raises the temperature of the eggs, preventing them from scrambling.

The bright, tangy flavour of this soup comes from the lemon juice, so use fresh lemons rather than bottled lemon juice. Adjust the quantity according to how tangy you like your soup. The lemon zest adds more flavour than tang so feel free to adjust that as well if you’d like a more lemony, but not a tangier taste.

Once you’ve added the egg mixture back into the pot and when reheating the soup, do so on on low heat. Avoid boiling after adding the eggs as high heat can cause the eggs to curdle, resulting in a grainy texture.

Taste and season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper towards the end of cooking. The acidity from the lemon juice can affect the way salt tastes, so it’s better to adjust the seasoning after the lemon juice has been added.

This Avgolemono soup recipe is best served fresh. Over time, the rice or orzo can absorb the broth and thicken the soup considerably. If you need to reheat leftovers, do so gently, and you might need to add a bit more stock or water to achieve the desired consistency.

Here’s a list of the kitchen equipment you’ll need to make this delicious Avgolemono soup recipe (paid links):

• Large Soup Pot or Dutch Oven Pot
• measuring cups and spoons
• Cutting Board
• large knife
• liquid measuring cups
• wooden spoon
• Microplane Zester
• Soup Ladle

Here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious Greek lemon chicken orzo soup (paid links):

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small onions
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3 lemons juice and zest
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 2/3 cup orzo pasta or 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 3 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh parsley and lemon slices for serving

1. Kale or Spinach: Add in a handful or two of kale leaves or fresh baby spinach leaves right at the end of the cooking process for some added veggies.
2. Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock for a meat-free option. You can also add additional veggies like chopped zucchini.
3. Seafood: Add shrimp instead of the chicken for a seafood twist on the classic recipe.
4. Lemon Dill: Add fresh dill to the soup for some added freshness.
5. Turkey and Wild Rice: Replace the chicken with shredded turkey and add wild rice instead of the orzo or rice.
6. Egg-Free: Add a cornstarch slurry instead of the eggs to thicken the soup to keep it egg-free.

Here are some dishes we suggest serving with this delicious lemon chicken orzo soup!

• Best Ever Rosemary Focaccia Bread
• Easy No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe with Garlic Butter
• Easy Greek Chicken Souvlaki
• Quick and Easy Greek Pasta Salad
• Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

When it comes to adding eggs to hot liquid it’s important to use a process called tempering instead of adding the eggs directly to the hot liquid. Tempering involves heating the beaten eggs slowly by adding hot liquid to them until they reach the temperature of the liquid you want to add them to.

By whisking the eggs together in a liquid measuring cup and then adding some of the hot soup liquid little by little, mixing as you go, you’re able to cook the eggs with the hot liquid while at the same time keeping them smooth and preventing them from curdling. As you continue adding the hot soup liquid to the eggs they’ll eventually reach the same temperature as the hot soup. You’ll then be able to add the egg mixture you’ve created to the pot with the soup and combine them together.

We hope you love this Avgolemono soup recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite creamy soup recipe? We’d love to know!

• Meatball Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Roasted Vegetable Soup
• Sweet Potato Soup
• Easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Beef Barley Soup with Kale
• Crock Pot Cabbage Soup
• Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Red Peppers

Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this recipe. You can find many more deliciously simple recipe videos on our YouTube channel!