Avgolemono Soup
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Warm up with a bowl of creamy avgolemono, the Greek classic that combines lemon, egg, chicken, and rice into a simple, comforting soup.
Every culture has its favorite chicken soup—from classic American chicken noodle soup to cozy Jewish matzo ball soup. In Greece, it’s avgolemono soup, a light yet satisfying blend of rich chicken broth, bright lemon, silky eggs, tender chicken, rice, and fresh dill.
Avgolemono is surprisingly simple to prepare. The only part of the recipe that might seem a bit “cheffy” is tempering the eggs, a process that gently acclimates them to the hot broth to ensure a creamy, rich texture—if you add them directly in, you’ll end up with scrambled bits. But don’t worry, I’ve streamlined this step with a blender, making it foolproof and ensuring the eggs blend smoothly into the soup.
Before serving, I like to add a splash of heavy cream to the soup, which introduces a subtle richness that balances the lemon’s tang. This addition isn’t traditional, so feel free to omit it if you prefer a lighter, more lemon-forward version. Round out the meal with souvlaki and a fresh Greek salad.
“I couldn’t believe I wasn’t at a restaurant. This had the most delicious taste with the perfect amount of lemon. I’m in heaven! Thank you!”
What You’ll Need to Make Avgolemono
- Chicken tenderloins or breasts: Provides the soup with its main source of protein and flavor.
- Chicken broth: Forms the base of the soup, adding depth and richness.
- Long grain white rice: Provides substance to the soup; a portion is blended in to help thicken the soup and stabilize the consistency.
- Fresh Dill: Imparts a unique, aromatic flavor that’s characteristic of Greek cuisine.
- Bay leaf: Adds a subtle layer of flavor complexity to the broth.
- Fresh lemon juice: Brings a bright, acidic balance to the creamy soup.
- Eggs: Used to thicken the soup and provide a creamy, rich texture.
- Heavy cream: Though not traditional in avgolemono, this ingredient lends delicious richness and helps soften the lemon’s acidity.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place the chicken on a plate and season all over with the salt. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring the broth, rice, white pepper, dill sprigs, and bay leaf to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is al dente, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the chicken.
Cover and let sit until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Discard the dill sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 3/4 cup of the rice to a blender. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and yolks to the blender as well. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Using a soup ladle, transfer about 3/4 cup of the broth to the blender and process until smooth, 10 seconds. Add another ladleful of broth to the blender and process again.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot, stirring until evenly combined.
Add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Do not boil. Taste the rice to see if it’s cooked through. If it needs a few more minutes, gently simmer the soup until the rice is cooked.
Right before serving, stir in the chopped dill and the chicken, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If the soup is too lemony, add more cream. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a bit of water.
Serve immediately, as the soup thickens up quite a bit as it sits.
Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
Avgolemono combines the Greek words “avgo” (egg) and “lemono” (lemon), forming a creamy and tangy mixture often used as a sauce in Greek cuisine. But, when you add chicken broth, rice, and pieces of chicken to it, this blend transforms into avgolemono soup, turning the simple sauce into a rich and comforting meal.
No, I don’t recommend making this soup ahead. The texture and flavor may change when refrigerated or frozen, especially due to the egg-lemon mixture, which can separate or curdle upon reheating. Additionally, the rice in the soup tends to absorb the broth, thickening it beyond the desired consistency. For best results, prepare the soup fresh.
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Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice
Warm up with a bowl of creamy avgolemono, the Greek classic that combines lemon, egg, chicken, and rice into a simple, comforting soup.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins (or chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips)
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 8 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup long grain white rice
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh dill, plus 2 teaspoons chopped (see note)
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
- ½ cup heavy cream, plus a bit more if necessary (optional; see note)
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken on a plate and season all over with the salt. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring the broth, rice, white pepper, dill sprigs, and bay leaf to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is al dente, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the chicken, cover, and let sit until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Discard the dill sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer about ¾ cup of the rice to a blender. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and yolks to the blender and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Using a soup ladle, transfer about ¾ cup of the broth to the blender and process until smooth, 10 seconds (be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape). Add another ladleful of broth to the blender and process again.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot, stirring until evenly combined. Add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Do not boil. (The soup will be a bit frothy at this point; don’t worry, the froth will settle as it simmers.) Taste the rice to see if it’s cooked through. If it needs a few more minutes, gently simmer the soup until the rice is cooked. Right before serving, stir in the chopped dill and the chicken, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If the soup is too lemony, add more cream. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a bit of water. Serve immediately, as the soup thickens up quite a bit as it sits.
- Note: A sprig of dill is one “branch.”
- Note: Heavy cream is not traditionally added to avgolemono soup, but I like how it balances the tanginess of the lemon. It's fine to omit it if you'd like to make the soup a bit lighter and/or more lemony.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 428
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Sodium: 1,048 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Love this!! SO easy, so delicious. The lemon is in perfect balance with the other ingredients. Not overpowering. Made it exactly as is in recipe. Sharing the recipe with my friends!
Jenn, I love this soup! I just made a big pot and wondering if it can be frozen- without the cream? Many thanks for your fabulous recipes, every one a winner!
Chris
Hi Chris, so glad you like the recipes! Unfortunately, I don’t think this would freeze well — sorry!
Fantastic!! Spring-y and fresh and hearty at the same time. How do you recommend reheating leftovers?
So glad you liked it! You can either reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. Just keep in mind that it will have thickened up quite a bit in the fridge — you can thin it out with a bit of water or broth.
Delicious. Hearty and elegant at the same time. The chicken was so tender that I will use this method in other soups. I used a little less lemon juice and would do so again. Company worthy.
This sounded so good, and it was! This went right into our keeper recipes. The flavor was just amazing. The lemon amount was perfect. Every time we try one of your recipes it usually goes into our keeper list. Our temps went from spring back to winter today, so it was the perfect time to try it. Thank you for all your great recipes. We made it exactly as the recipe called for.
Hi Jenn,
Love all your recipes!!! For this soup if I don’t have white rice available could I substitute orzo? Also is there any issue in using chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken?
Hi Kathleen, So glad you like the recipes! I haven’t made this with orzo, but think it should work. And it’s fine to use rotisserie chicken if you have that on hand. Hope you enjoy!
I make a version of this soup that includes chicken thighs, orzo, carrots, celery, and either leeks or onions. Non-traditional, apparently, but it is my favorite chicken soup.
Your version would be much quicker to prepare, so I’ll give it a go sometime (probably when pressed for time).
My rule of thumb is one more lemon than however many eggs I am using. I usually use four lemons & three eggs. Tempering the egg/lemon mixture is easy, once you understand the concept.
Jenn, I have made other versions of this soup but yours is superior to them all. I think this is the quintessential comfort soup – knocks chicken noodle soup off the pedestal! I did use less cream because the puréed rice made it creamy enough for us. I make something from your cookbooks or website nearly everyday – always no fail and delicious! Many thanks!
This recipe was perfect for the Thanksgiving leftover turkey and it went together so quickly. The lemon level was just right and I agree with adding the cream.
I made this today and it’s nothing short of amazing!!! The dill and lemon are a perfect blend in this and rice is a nice change from noodles. I used my immersion blender and it worked great. I am keeping this recipe on hand for the winter. I didn’t want to wait because your soups are always so delicious!!!
Delicious. Turned out perfect. I added a little extra lemon to taste. This is a keeper!
I have leftover very flavorful liquid from some preserved lemons I made for a Moroccan Chicken Dish. What about adding some of this flavorful (but salty) liquid to this soup?
I love all of your recipes! And I look forward to making this one.
Sure, that sounds like a tasty addition — I’d just cut back on the salt in the recipe. You can add it to taste at the end if necessary. Hope you enjoy!
I’m Greek and this soup is simply amazing especially in the winter. My recipe differs slightly by using orzo rather than rice, boneless, skinless thighs and whipping egg whites and folding them in for extra richness.
Egg Bites and now this soup with several eggs. Been to the grocery store lately and seen the price of eggs! Just kidding. I intend to make both recipes, despite the cost of eggs!