Soup & Stew

Avgolemono Soup

By Amy Flanigan

Published Feb 7, 2026

Read 49 Reviews

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 15 minutes mins

Servings 6

By Amy Flanigan

Published Feb 7, 2026

Jump to RecipeShare

Avgolemono Soup is soup for the soul that feels rich but still light, I just love it. This traditional Greek lemon chicken soup gets its silky texture from eggs and its bright, tangy flavor from fresh lemon juice. It’s cozy, comforting, and wonderfully fresh. And bonus, it comes together in just about 25 minutes.

My love for anything lemon runs deep, so it’s no surprise how much I adore avgolemono soup. It’s the best parts of chicken noodle soup and chicken and rice soup, with a bright, citrusy twist that keeps it feeling light instead of heavy. This version uses rice and eggs to create that signature silky, velvety texture, without needing hours of simmering homemade stock. It’s cozy, comforting, and the kind of soup I make when I want something soothing but fresh. Perfect for chilly days, low-energy nights, or anytime I need a bowl of comfort that doesn’t feel overly rich.

Helpful Tips

• Do not boil after adding the eggs. Once the egg mixture goes in, keep the soup off the heat. Boiling will cause the eggs to scramble instead of turning silky.
• Temper slowly and gently. The broth should be hot and steaming, not bubbling. Adding it too fast or too hot is the fastest way to curdle the eggs.
• Whisk constantly while tempering. Keep the whisk moving as you add the hot broth to the eggs so the mixture stays smooth and emulsified.
• Remove the bay leaf before tempering. It can tear or catch in the egg mixture and interfere with smooth whisking.

5 from 49

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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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!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 small sweet onion, diced small
• ▢ 2 stalks celery, diced small
• ▢ 2 medium carrots, diced small
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ ½ tsp kosher salt, (not table salt)
• ▢ ⅛ tsp pepper
• ▢ ½ cup dry Arborio rice
• ▢ 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock, (or broth)
• ▢ 1 large dried bay leaf
• ▢ 2 (6 oz. each) chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and shredded
• ▢ ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2½ tbsp 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 the chicken stock and bay leaf; bring to a simmer. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
• Add 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 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.) Do not put the saucepan back on the heat once the egg mixture has been added, or the eggs might scramble or turn into ribbons.
• Stir in the dill. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3572IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

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.

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How to Make Avgolemono Soup Step by Step

Gather all the ingredients together.

Sauté the veggies: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 small diced sweet onion, 2 diced celery stalks, and 2 diced carrots, and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the onion looks translucent but not browned. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 20 seconds, just until fragrant. Season with ½ tsp coarse salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper.

Add the rice and broth: Add ½ cup dry Arborio rice and stir to coat it in the oil and vegetables. The rice should look glossy and lightly toasted, but not browned. Pour in 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock and add 1 large bay leaf. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the broth looks slightly creamy from the released starch. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Add the chicken: Stir in 2 cooked, seasoned, and shredded chicken breasts (about 12 ounces total) and keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Avoid boiling at this point.

Temper the eggs: In a large spouted measuring cup or bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice and 2 large eggs until the mixture is pale, light, and slightly frothy. To temper the eggs, remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly whisk 2 cups of the hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is warm and smooth. Then slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the soup, stirring gently to combine. The soup should become silky and lightly creamy. Do not return the soup to the heat, as this can cause the eggs to scramble.

Season the soup: Stir in 2½ tbsp chopped fresh dill, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve and enjoy: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately, garnished with more fresh dill.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this avgolemono soup with Dutch oven bread or warm toasted pita to soak up every last drop. A simple salad with Greek dressing on the side keeps the meal light and fresh, especially if the soup is the star. This is also a great recipe for using up leftover rotisserie or shredded chicken, which makes it even more weeknight-friendly. I always finish each bowl with extra fresh dill and a few cracks of black pepper, and I like to add lemon wedges on the side for anyone who wants an extra pop of brightness.

How to Store Leftovers

• Fridge. 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 it separately, or simply add more broth as you heat the soup.
• Freeze. Cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers, leave enough room in the container for the soup to expand. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheat. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, adding 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

• French Onion Soup
• Marry Me Chicken Soup
• 7 Can Soup
• Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
• Hungarian Mushroom Soup

My Avgolemono Soup recipe was originally published 9/30/23. It was retested and republished to be better than ever 2/7/26.