Greek lemon chicken soup (avgolemono)

Name: Greek lemon chicken soup (avgolemono)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 1 stalk celery, diced; 1 tbsp olive oil; 7 cups chicken broth; 1 bay leave; 1 tsp salt; 1 lb chicken breasts; ½ cup long-grain white rice; 3 large eggs; 2 lemons, juiced, about ⅓ cup; ¼ tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Chicken and rice soup made silky and bright with eggs and lemon whisked in at the end, Greece’s answer to feeling a little under the weather.

60 min total
35 min hands-on
A little more hands-on
Serves 4
About $3.21 a serving
360 calories
Gluten-free
Dairy-free

Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
7 cups chicken broth
1 lb chicken breasts
½ cup long-grain white rice
3 large eggs
2 lemons, juiced, about ⅓ cup
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

From your pantry

1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leave
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Each serving has about 360 calories, 35 g protein, 29 g carbs and 11 g fat, and costs about $3.21 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.

Missing something?

No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
No lemons? Limes work.

Steps

Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.

the onion, carrot and celery and juice the lemons.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the vegetables, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Add the broth, bay leaf and salt and over high heat.
High heat
Lay in the chicken, turn the heat to low and for 15 to 18 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 16 min 30 sec
Lift out the chicken and check the thickest part reads 165°F or is white all the way through. it with two forks and set it aside.
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Stir the rice into the simmering broth and cook for 15 minutes, until tender.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a large bowl until frothy. the whole time, slowly ladle in 2 cups of the hot broth.
Dolly’s tip: This slow warm-up is the whole trick. Hot broth poured fast would scramble the eggs.
Turn the heat to low and pour the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring. Keep stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the soup turns creamy and coats the spoon.
Low heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Keep it steaming but never bubbling. If it boils, the eggs curdle into little bits.
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Stir the chicken back in, pull out the bay leaf, add the pepper and dill, and taste for salt and lemon before serving.