Avgolemono Soup
Updated
Updated
Avgolemono Soup is a traditional Greek Lemon Chicken Soup that gets richness from eggs and tang from fresh lemons. It’s silky smooth, light, bright, and wonderful!
Love lemon as much as we do? Check out our Balsamic Lemon Chicken and Shrimp Scampi with Lemon Cream – they’ll both make you weak in the knees!
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Avgolemono Soup – Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
My love for anything lemon knows no bounds. So, there’s no surprise how much I adore this Avgolemono soup, which is Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. It’s like the best combination of chicken noodle soup and chicken and rice soup with a light, bright addition of citrus.
What is Avgolemono Soup?
Avgolemono (pronounced ah-vo-le-mo-no – “ah-vo”, which means “egg”, and “lemon-o”, which means “lemon”…the “g” is silent, just like in “gyro”) is basically Greek Penicillin – the equivalent to Greeks as Chicken Noodle Soup is to Americans.
It uses rice and eggs as a thickener, but the texture is velvety smooth and the flavor is light and bright. Perfect for when you have the sniffles or just want to curl up on the couch during a blistery winter day, longing for springtime. It’s heavenly!
Authentic Avgolemono soup uses two-hour+ long, from scratch, chicken stock from a whole chicken, and then using that to shred and add in at the end. But I don’t have that kind of time when I’m trying to get dinner on the table during the week. This is my cheater version and it never disappoints. It’s similar enough and just as comforting as the traditional soup. You will love it!
Ingredients Needed
This chicken soup recipe uses pantry staples.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Vegetables – Diced onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic add flavor, texture, and aromatics.
- Olive oil – To saute the vegetables.
- Seasonings – Coarse salt, pepper, a bay leaf, and fresh chopped dill season the soup.
- Arborio rice – This type of rice is best for Avgolemono Soup because it absorbs the liquid and thickens the soup as it cooks, but I’ve also made this with Basmati rice and it was great. Basmati rice is also a good alternative.
- Chicken stock – I use low sodium to control the salt level.
- Cooked seasoned chicken breast – You can season and bake your own chicken or use rotisserie chicken for an even quicker meal.
- Lemon juice – This is a key ingredient in this soup, so make sure it’s fresh.
- Eggs – These add richness and body to the soup.
How to Make Avgolemono Soup
Making this soup recipe is easy in just a few steps.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Saute the veggies. Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots; saute until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the rice and broth. Add in the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Add in the chicken stock and bay leaf.
- Simmer. Bring to a gentle bubbler and simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add in the chicken. Add in the shredded chicken and maintain a gentle simmer.
- Combine the lemon juice and eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and eggs until light and frothy. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg mixture, then slowly pour the egg mixture back into the soup; stir and incorporate. (This process equalizes the temperature between the two mixtures to avoid curdling the eggs.)
- Season and serve. Stir in the dill. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Tips for Success
- Temper the avgolemono sauce. At the very end of cooking, 2 cups of the hot broth is whisked with the eggs and lemon juice and then slowly added back into the pot of soup, which becomes a thickening agent.
- Immediately remove the soup from the heat. Once you’ve added the sauce into the big pot of soup, you will need to immediately remove it from the heat. Otherwise, you could end up with scrambled eggs or stringy egg ribbons like in Egg Drop soup.
Video: Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Serving Suggestions
When I make this soup, I usually serve it with garlic bread or Irish Soda Bread, which are both perfect to mop up the last dribbles at the bottom of the bowl, but Avgolemono is definitely satisfying on its own!
Storing Leftovers
- In the refrigerator: Wait for the soup to cool completely and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be aware that the rice continues to absorb the liquid and plump up as the soup cools, making it thicker. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can either separate the rice from the soup and store them separately, or simply add more broth as you heat the soup up.
- You can also freeze leftovers. Make sure to leave enough room in the container for the soup to expand. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat; adding in a small amount of water or broth to the bottom of the pan, to prevent the rice and chicken from sticking or burning before the soup melts. The soup will separate when reheated, though (even if it wasn’t frozen), so make sure it is well stirred before serving.
More Soup Recipes:
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Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, , diced small
- 2 stalks celery, , diced small
- 2 medium carrots, , diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (not table salt)
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup Arborio rice
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 (6 ounces each) chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and shredded
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 & 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots; saute until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute until slightly browned and fragrant, 20 seconds. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add in the rice and stir to coat in the oil.
- Add in the chicken stock and bay leaf; bring to a simmer. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add in the shredded chicken and maintain a gentle simmer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and eggs until light and frothy.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat (see note below) and slowly whisk 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg mixture, then slowly pour the egg mixture back into the soup; stir and incorporate. (This process equalizes the temperature between the two mixtures to avoid curdling the eggs.)
- Stir in the dill. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
So good!! This is my go to for when my daughter comes home.
Easy and so delicious!
I made it last night i wanted to make leftovers tonight, but I think I add a little too much lemon van i just add some chicken stock to fix it?
Fix it how? Is the broth ruined or it just tastes too lemony for you?
Super authentic recipe
Great recipe! Going to double it though because it’s so good we don’t have leftovers!!
This was very easy to make. I used homemade seasoned breasts for the chicken. The soup was light and bright from the lemon as described and was incredibly delicious. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice and fresh dill for the best flavor. I’d give this 20 stars if I could, it’s so good! I reviewed this soup on my YouTube channel, The Real Deal Recipe Reviews, where I always try to make recipes as written and give honest reviews and opinions.
This was delicioooous! I am vegetarian so I used some Daring brand frozen chicken pieces that I shredded up and fake chicky broth. I put some israeli cous cous in instead of rice because I wanted to use it up, as well as a lil drizzle of agave to round it out a bit more. Easy and quick! Highly recommend this recipe. Thank you!
This recipe is a favorite at our house!
I ordered this soup at a Greek restaurant lately and chose this recipe to make the soup. The lemon juice is the magic in the flavour and the egg is so light it adds just the right richness without the weight of a flour roue.
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!
I made this twice. Both time it was fantastic. It’s actually very quick and easy to make. I love that it’s different than common American soups.
This is the best authentic recipe for this soup that I’ve found! So good and my whole family loves it ??
Fabulous! A new family favorite!
Great recipe I’ve made this 3 times now. Only deviation is I boil the chicken breast (boneless skinless) in the broth, shred then return to the soup. Easy peasy!
Just wonderful, we all loved this. Made as written – no changes.
My husband doesn’t like my chicken noodle soup made with a whole chicken, so I was looking for something lighter to make, because he’s sick with a cold. This was perfect! It’s so fresh and delicious, and he liked it! Thanks for giving me a new go-to recipe for soup!
Very delicious!!!
I love this, I’ve made it a few times… I was thinking about puréeing the veggies and rice in the broth before adding the chicken and the egg mixture, do you think that would work out well?
I make this soup regularly with a slight difference in execution. I don’t add the rice in the beginning. Instead I boil the vegetables along with a small potato in the broth and the chicken breasts. I remove the chicken and shred it and puree the vegatables. Then I add the rice and boil until ready and add back the chicken. The soup has a great texture that way. Hope that helps
A fantastic recipe. The flavors are wonderful. Everyone I serve this to just loves it and wants the recipe. I recommend watching the video to properly incorporate the eggs.
This was just wonderful. Loved it.
This is delicious. First time I made it and i doubled the recipe so i’m going to freeze some. Great recipe with a lot of good healthy ingredients!
Can this soup be reheated due to the egg (before storing), for those that get home later?
Yes, totally fine. Just reheat over low, don’t bring it to a boil.
This was incredibly simple and so delicious – a new favorite I’ll make again and again!
This will be a staple in my house. This soup is delicious. I highly recommend. But please watch the video to make sure you take proper steps.
Followed the recipe as written and it is awesome. My new favorite!
This soup is beyond delicious! I had to substitute barley for the rice, but it was just as good??
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this soup !!! Can’t get enough of it ? Tonight will make the fourth time I have made it recently……I’m addicted to it ?? Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe ?? The only thing I didn’t do is add dill will have to try it
This is a family favorite now, often requested.
Absolutely delicious
I have some couscous on hand…do you think that would be okay to use?
This recipe was awesome! We frequently go to a family Greek restaurant in Florida and I always enjoy their lemon chicken soup! I’m so happy to have the recipe for my own use! I made my own stock from a rotisserie ( that I send for the meat ) and it was great for controlling salt! I didn’t have fresh dill but used a dried dill seasoning I’ve always loved! It really was so delicious! Thanks for sharing this!
Can I use jasmine rice or long grain white rice instead of basmati?
Sure!
This recipe is so good! I’ve made it 3 times this month! Thank you?
Hi! How important is the egg in the soup? Can it be omitted, as I have an egg allergy?
I mean… the “ah-vo” in ah-vo-le-mo-no means “egg”, so it’s a pretty key ingredient in the soup. That being said, if you wanted to omit it, you can.
This soup is so delicious and filling. It’s so similar to my grandmother’s soups from Valencia Spain.
We’ve made this several times now and we love it!
Delish!!!
My wife has many dietary issues…sugar intolerant, gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant. This soup delicious and perfect because it is creamy without dairy or gluten!
Can you make this ahead of time and just not add the egg mixture until ready to serve?
That’s fine. Be sure to read the storage information in the article regarding the rice. Enjoy!
Great soup! Had leftover chicken kebabs which worked well with this soup. Made enough for some to be frozen. Thanks for the recipe.
I tried making this soup and it is very delicious. i love the lemon flavor. Will suggest it to my friends
My question is, does this recipe require putting in chopped chicken or is the soup stock enough. I like the smooth silky texture to the soup without chunks.
You can leave out the cooked chicken if you want.
This exceeded my expectations! It’s so simple, but absolutely packed with flavor. The lemon is just delightful. Loved it!
Great recipe!!
Making this tonight! How should I reheat leftovers because of the egg.
Just lovely. My new favorite chicken soup recipe. Thanks for sharing!
How did reheating go?
This soup was a crowd pleaser! I used rotisserie chicken and homemade chicken stock. The ratio of lemon to broth was perfect. I admit I omitted the dill, only because I did’t have any on hand, but the recipe was perfectly delicious without it.
This is an amazing recipe!! Been searching for the perfect Greek lemon soup and this is it!!! I added fresh spinach at the end with the dill. Thank you for this great recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear it, Mary!
Fantastic! Will definitely make this again.
I’ve been craving this soup ever since we left Dallas where I used to order this at my favorite Greek restaurant. Soooo good! Thank you!
Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelish! And I followed the recipe exactly, Amy! It’s a miracle :P
Well, I am soup lover and always looking for different soup recipes. This soup looks like a great comfort food and I love the fact that it’s almost like a full dish on its own. Saves you the trouble of making dinner!
can’t wait to make this soup.