Avgolemono is chicken breasts poached in stock with onion, carrot and celery, then shredded, with orzo cooked in the broth and the whole thing finished with whisked egg yolks and fresh lemon juice. One pot, 50 minutes, four servings.
Tempering the egg yolk mixture before it touches the hot soup is the step that separates avgolemono from egg drop soup. Ladle one or two scoops of hot broth into the bowl of whisked yolks and lemon, whisk it in, then pour the warmed mixture back into the pot. Skip this and the yolks scramble on contact, leaving you with threads of cooked egg floating in the broth.
The recipe uses yolks only, not whole eggs, and that is a deliberate choice. Whites are more prone to curdling at high heat and give you a stringy texture instead of the silky, slightly thickened broth that makes avgolemono different from every other chicken soup.
Avgolemono Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Course: Soups, DinnerCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes40
minutes377
kcalChicken poached in stock with aromatics, shredded, then orzo simmered in the same broth and finished with tempered egg yolks and fresh lemon juice. A silky, fragrant Greek soup with no cream.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 chicken breasts, about 350g total
6 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup orzo
2 egg yolks
Juice of 1 lemon
A handful of fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Sauté the vegetables:Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8 to 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Poach the chicken:Add the bay leaves, chicken breasts and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cook the orzo:Remove the chicken and bay leaves. Add the orzo and cook for 10 minutes. While it cooks, shred the chicken with two forks and add it back to the pot.
- Temper and finish:Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Ladle 1 to 2 scoops of hot broth into the bowl and whisk to temper. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
FAQs
What happens if you skip the tempering step?
The egg yolks scramble the instant they hit the hot broth and you end up with threads of cooked egg instead of a silky soup. Tempering raises the temperature of the yolks gradually so they thicken the broth without curdling. Do it off the heat, whisking the whole time.
Can you use rice instead of orzo?
Yes, and many traditional avgolemono recipes do. Follow the cooking time on the rice package since it takes longer than orzo. A commenter used pearl barley and added it at the same time as the chicken, which also worked.
Can you use leftover or rotisserie chicken?
Yes, and it saves you the poaching step. Add the shredded chicken after the orzo is cooked and let it heat through for a few minutes. The broth will not be quite as rich without poaching raw chicken in it, so use the best stock you can find.
Why is my soup too thick the next day?
The orzo absorbs broth as it sits, same as every pasta soup. Add a splash of stock when you reheat and stir until it loosens. If you know you will have leftovers, cook the orzo separately and add it to individual bowls, which a commenter and the author both recommend.
How do you store and freeze avgolemono?
Fridge for up to 3 days, freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove and do not bring it to a boil, because boiling will curdle the egg in the broth. The author suggests freezing without the orzo and cooking fresh pasta when you reheat.
