Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Description

A copycat recipe of my favorite Greek restaurant. Creamy (but dairy-free) chicken and lemon soup. Delicious on its own or served with a Greek salad and bread or pita.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ medium carrot, diced
  • ½ medium red onion, diced
  • ½ stalk celery, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 medium lemons, zested and juiced, divided
  • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, or more to taste
  • 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add carrot
  2. onion
  3. and celery. Cook
  4. stirring continuously
  5. until vegetables start to soften and turn translucent
  6. 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant
  7. about 1 minute.
  8. Add chicken broth
  9. parsley
  10. and oregano. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add chicken and orzo. Reduce heat to a simmer.
  11. Meanwhile
  12. whisk eggs in a heat-safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Add the lemon juice and whisk until well combined.
  13. Slowly add a ladle of hot broth to the egg mixture
  14. whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Repeat with a few more ladles until the egg mixture is hot and steaming. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and whisk until incorporated.
  15. Add 1/2 of the lemon zest to the soup; reserve remaining zest for another use. Taste soup; if too lemony
  16. add chicken bouillon. Add hot pepper sauce
  17. salt
  18. and pepper. Cook until orzo is tender yet firm to the bite
  19. about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Servings: 8

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