Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

If you want flavor this is the soup you need! This egg-lemon soup is packed with flavor and not calories. Ready in under 30 minutes.

Greek food is one of my favorite cuisines from around the world. Of course, given that most dishes involve lemon juice, garlic and olive oil that probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to you.

With an emphasis on fresh herbs, clean flavors and heart-healthy ingredients like yogurt and walnuts, Greek food is a perfect example of healthy made delicious. Just look at this Greek salad!

Growing up just 3 hours from Chicago, home to one of the nation’s largest Greek populations, I have had countless opportunities to dine on some of the best Greek food around.

In college, I had the pleasure of traveling to Athens, Greece with a few of my classmates. The atmosphere and the food was everything you would expect and more. Salty cheeses, briny olives, juicy lemons, fragrant herbs… it was heaven.

In lieu of traveling to Greece this winter, I decided to create a light and healthy version of avgolemono soup which literally translates to “egg-lemon” soup.

Restaurant versions typically use triple the number of eggs and thicken the broth with a heavy roux full of butter and white flour. You’ll be pleased to learn that my version is completely dairy, gluten-free and requires only 2 eggs.

Frequently asked questions:

Don’t worry – it’s easy!

For added brightness, lemon juice is whisked into the soup as well. I love to serve the soup with extra lemon wedges for people to add more at the table if they wish.

To save time, I love adding shredded rotisserie chicken towards the end of the cooking process. Not only does it add a ton of flavor but it turns this soup into a hearty, protein-packed entree. Serve it with a Greek salad and dinner is done. You can keep the chicken out and leave it vegetarian as well.

Recipe substitutions:

Orzo can be substituted for rice if you wish.

Your spoon is waiting.

Oopah!

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

4.05 stars average

A traditional Greek soup, avgolemono is an egg-lemon soup packed with shredded chicken and white rice. Freezer-friendly and ready in under 30 minutes.

PREP: 5 mins

COOK: 20 mins

TOTAL: 25 mins

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Servings: 4

Ingredients

 

1/2x1x2x

• ▢ 6 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
• ▢ ¾ cups uncooked white rice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• ▢ 2 eggs (whisked a small bowl)
• ▢ 8 ounces cooked chicken breast (shredded – rotisserie works well)
• ▢ thinly sliced scallions (optional garnish)

Instructions

 

• In a large soup pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice, salt and pepper and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove one cup of the broth from the pot and pour into a medium bowl. Add corn starch and whisk until dissolved. Pour in lemon juice and whisk once more.
• To temper the eggs, slowly add the whisked eggs to the broth/cornstarch/lemon juice mixture. Whisk constantly so that the eggs gradually come to temperature. Continue until all of the eggs are fully incorporated.
• Pour the warmed egg/broth mixture back into the large soup pot and stir until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Add shredded chicken breasts and cook until heated through. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve with sliced scallions if you wish.

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Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 30.7gProtein: 24.8gFat: 4.4gSaturated Fat: 1.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3.3gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 605mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1g

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Check out more healthy soup recipes on my Pinterest board!