Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

Warm, cozy and ultra creamy, this recipe for Avgolemono soup with chicken (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup) is the best kind of comfort food!

If you have not tried Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, called Avgolemono in Greek, you are truly missing out. I may be biased as a Greek girl, but it is the best chicken soup I have ever had!

It is warm and creamy and ultra comforting. I have enjoyed this Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono) so many times in my life and never tire of it! Its exactly whats needed if you are feeling under the weather! My mom used to make it for me when I was down with a cold and the bright, lemony flavour did wonders to lift my spirits.

The soup has a creamy texture but has no cream or dairy of any kind. The creaminess comes from the addition of whipped egg whites at the last stage of cooking. Avgolemono actually refers to a sauce made from whipped eggs and lemon. It is used in many Greek dishes. I absolutely love it.

The lemon flavour is easily customizable. Add more or less lemon juice to suit your tastes. My husband loves more lemon than I do so I usually serve the soup with lemon wedges and he adds to his heart’s content. This is a good idea if you have picky eaters. Everybody can adjust it to meet their needs.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup) with extra lemon wedges

The recipe I am sharing is my moms recipe. It has been a favourite in our family for years and when I first made it for my husband, it became one of his favourites too. Over the years, I have stuck to this recipe as it is, making only minor adjustments like switching out the rice for orzo (which is also a delicious option).

Ingredients in this recipe for Avgolemono Soup

To make this recipe for avgolemono soup with chicken, you will need:

  • Chicken: any cut will do- breast, thigh, or drumsticks

  • Chicken broth: homemade or store-bought

  • Onion: finely chopped

  • Carrot: finely chopped

  • Celery: finely chopped

  • Italian rice: rinsed and drained

  • Eggs

  • Lemon: juice. You can adjust how much you use depending on your personal preference. I often include just a little in the actual soup and serve it with lemon wedges so others can adjust it to their own liking.

  • Salt and pepper
Bowl of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup) topped with chicken and fresh parsley

How to make this recipe for avgolemono soup

The full details of this recipe are in the recipe card below, but essentially this soup comes down to a few simple steps:

  1. Cook the chicken: In a large pot, boil the chicken in broth will onion, salt and pepper. Once cooked, remove chicken and set aside to cool.

  2. Boil the rice and veggies. To the broth, add the rice, carrot and celery and boil until the rice is cooked through.

  3. Shred the chicken and add it back. Shred the chicken once it is cool enough to handle. Add it back to the soup. Adjust seasoning if needed.

  4. Make the avgolemono sauce: Separate the egg whites and yolks in two bowls and beat them separately, making sure the egg whites are fluffy and hold their shape. Mix the egg yolks and whites together and add lemon juice while beating.

  5. Temper the sauce: Continue to beat as you add some hot broth from the soup to the egg mixture (to temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling, you slowly add hot liquid). Add the egg-lemon mixture to the soup pot and stir. Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with additional lemon juice if desired.
A photo collage showing how to prepare avgolemono sauce.

How to store leftovers

The recipe makes several portions. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If you would like to, you can also freeze the soup to heat up when needed.

If you are freezing this soup, skip the last step of adding the lemon-egg sauce. It doesn’t do well during the freezing-reheating process and is better off made fresh when you are ready to eat it.

I hope you enjoy this cozy soup as much as my family does!

-Cathy

For other cozy soup ideas:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithosoupa)
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Bowl of Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup) topped with chicken and fresh parsley

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup)

Herbs and Flour
This classic Greek soup is the perfect comfort meal. Warm, cozy and sure to satisfy!
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Soups
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6 servings
Calories 235 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb chicken (breast, thigh, or drumsticks)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 carrot finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk finely chopped
  • 1 cup Italian rice rinsed and drained
  • 2 eggs
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, add the chicken, broth, onion, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium and cook on a low boil until the chicken is cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the cut of chicken used. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
  • Add the rice, carrot and celery and boil until the rice is cooked through. Meanwhile, shred the chicken once it is cool enough to handle. Add it back to the soup. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  • In 2 bowls, crack the eggs, separating the whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they are fluffy and hold their shape. Beat the egg yolks for a couple of minutes and then mix the egg whites and yolks together.
  • Add the juice of 1 lemon and continue to beat. Continue to beat as you add some hot broth from the soup to the egg mixture to prevent cooking the eggs. Add the egg-lemon mixture to the soup pot and stir. Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with additional lemon juice if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 12gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 916mgPotassium: 373mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1837IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
Keyword avgolemono, chicken, eggs, greek food, lemon, rice
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

2 Comments

  1. Kristin

    5 stars
    Delicious and quite easy to make too!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




*