The Kitchen · Soups
Classic Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)
From The Kitchen
Greek comfort in a bowl. The magic is avgolemono — eggs whisked with lemon and gently tempered into the broth — which turns a simple chicken soup silky, bright and deeply satisfying.
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup uncooked orzo
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package directions.
- Stir in the cooked chicken and reduce the heat to low.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice until smooth. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the hot broth to temper the eggs.
- Gradually stir the egg mixture back into the soup. Do not boil after adding the eggs.
- Stir in the dill, season with salt and pepper, and serve with lemon wedges.
Storage: Best fresh, as the orzo drinks up the broth. Keeps 3 days refrigerated — warm gently and never boil, or the eggs will curdle.
Serve it with
- A small piece of warm pita or crusty bread
- A green salad alongside
- An extra squeeze of lemon
- A handful of spinach stirred in
Gina's tip
Add a handful of fresh spinach just before serving for an extra boost of color and nutrition.
Coach's Note
This is the soup you make when someone you love needs a little care — including you. Bright, cozy, and quietly nourishing.
I hope this recipe finds a place in your kitchen as it has in mine. Enjoy!
— Gina