Avgolemono: Greek Chicken Soup

A wonderful Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup with deep flavors that are truly satisfying!

Avgolemono: Greek Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: about 60 minutes

Serves 8 people

Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free

I love this Greek soup! It is so full of wonderful flavors and it is perfect for those in need of some nourishment when sick. Made with ingredients you have at home or are easy to find at your grocers (chicken, vegetables, herbs, lemons, and rice), this soup always seems to hit the spot. You know what I always say: simple ingredients produce the best results!

Greece holds a special place in my heart. I toured the Greeks isles in 2009 and fell in love with the people, history, landscape, and food. There is something pure about Greek cuisine: fresh ingredients from the earth and sea, wonderful herbs, and...lemons.

This soup is so simple and full of wonderful flavors. One pot is all you need to make the chicken broth and the soup. It is gluten free and great source of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

What is Avgolemono?

Avgolemono, avgolémono or egg-lemon sauce, is a family of sauces and soups made with egg yolks and lemon juice mixed with broth, heated until thicken. It is mostly found in Greek, Turkey, Arab, Sepahrdic, Jewish, Balkan, and Italian cuisines.

In Sepahradic Jewish cuisine, it is called "agristada" or "salsa blanco," and in Italian cuisine, "bagna brusca," "brodettato," or "brodo brusco." In Arabic, it is called "tarbiya" or "beida bi-lemoune' (egg with lemon); and in Turkish, "terbiye."

What ingredients will I need to make this soup?

chicken breasts, chicken broth, black pepper, sea salt, bay leaves, carrots, a large yellow onion, garlic, celery, dill seeds, eggs, lemons, rosemary, fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, water, and rice.

What else will I need to make this soup?

A large cast iron pot or large pot, measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board, a knife, a wooden spoon, a large bowl, a colander or sieve, and a whisk.

What is tempering?

Many different recipes, including those for custards, soups, and certain pasta recipes, will require you to "temper an egg," which means that you need to raise the temperature of an egg gradually, essentially cooking it without scrambling it. A tempered egg will look basically like raw egg, but will be perfectly cooked, and useful as a binding agent or thickener.

For a step by step guide on how to temper eggs click here.

Are there other Greek recipes on this website?

Yes!

• Greek Salad

• Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithosoupa)

• Chicken Kabobs

• Mediterranean Spicy Olives

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 pounds of chicken breast on the bone

• 10 cups of water

• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

• 2 teaspoons of sea salt

• 2 bay leaves

• 5 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1 large onion, quartered

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 5 sticks of celery, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon of dill seeds

• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds

• 5 sprigs of thyme

• 2 sage leaves

• 3 egg yolks

• 3 lemons

• 1 stick of Rosemary

• 1 small bunch of cilantro

• 1 cup of long rice of your choice

• Crushed pepper flakes
  

Method

1. Place the chicken a large pot and add the onion, garlic, celery, cilantro, 3/4 of the parsley, bay leaves, cumin seeds, thyme, rosemary, sage, carrots, dill seeds, chicken, salt, pepper and water.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature to simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.

3. Remove chicken and set aside to cool down.

4. Put the broth through a colander or sieve and discard all the solids. Return the broth to the pot. Continue to simmer.

5. Once the chicken has cooled down enough to handle, break it down into small pieces. Discard bones and skin (if any). Add chicken to the broth.

6. In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together.

7. Carefully and slowly, temper the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of hot broth.

8. Slowly add the egg mixture to the remaining broth in the pot, stirring constantly to avoid the eggs from becoming cooked like egg drop soup. The soup will change color from a dark broth to a light creamy tone.

9. Add the rice and increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil.

10. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.

11. Serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and crushed pepper flakes.

Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe (PDF) below:

Avgolemono (Greek Chicken Soup).pdf

Download PDF • 20.10MB

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