Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup)
Avgolemono is a bright, silky Greek soup where chicken broth and tender rice are thickened with a lemony egg mixture. It eats like comfort food but tastes fresh and springy—creamy without any dairy. This version uses bone-in chicken for deeper flavor, then finishes with plenty of lemon and dill. Serve it as a light dinner with warm bread and a simple salad.
- Greek
- Soup
- One-pot
- Comfort food
- Spring
Ingredients
- Chicken & Broth
- •1 1/2 lb (680 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 2 bone-in breasts)
- •1 medium yellow onion, halved
- •1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
- •1 celery stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
- •2 cloves garlic, smashed
- •1 bay leaf
- •8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken stock (or water + stock concentrate)
- •1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- •1/2 tsp black pepper
- Soup
- •1/2 cup (90 g) white rice (jasmine or long-grain), rinsed (or 3/4 cup orzo)
- •2 large eggs
- •1/3 to 1/2 cup (80–120 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
- •2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or parsley)
- •Optional: 1–2 tsp grated lemon zest
- •Optional: extra black pepper
Instructions
Build the broth
Add chicken, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, stock, salt, and pepper to a pot. Bring to a gentle simmer (small lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil), skimming any foam for the first 5 minutes.
Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and very tender—thighs should pull easily from the bone and the broth smells deeply chicken-y, 25–35 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a bowl. Strain the broth (optional but recommended for a clean, silky soup) and return it to the pot. Discard solids.
Cook the rice (or orzo)
Bring the strained broth back to a steady simmer. Stir in the rinsed rice.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender but not mushy, 12–16 minutes (orzo: 7–9 minutes). The soup should look brothy, not thick like porridge.
Make the avgolemono (egg-lemon liaison)
While the rice cooks, shred chicken meat and discard skin/bones. Keep it covered so it stays juicy.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth and a little foamy. Whisk in the lemon juice (and zest if using).
Temper: when rice is tender, reduce heat to low so the soup is hot but not boiling. Ladle in 1 cup of hot broth very slowly while whisking constantly. Then whisk in a second ladleful. The mixture should feel warm and silky, not grainy.
Off the boil, slowly pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot while stirring gently. Keep the heat low and stir until the soup turns slightly opaque and lightly thickens, 1–3 minutes.
Finish & serve
Stir in shredded chicken and warm through 1 minute. Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon, and pepper.
Off heat, stir in dill. Serve hot—look for a glossy, lightly creamy broth that coats the spoon.
Tip: If the soup ever bubbles hard after adding the egg-lemon, it can curdle. Keep it below a simmer—steam is fine, boiling is not.