Avgolemono Soup
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Warm up with a bowl of creamy avgolemono soup, the Greek classic that combines lemon, egg, chicken, and rice.
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, eggs, chicken, and rice. The name comes from the Greek words “avgo” (egg) and “lemono” (lemon).
This avgolemono soup recipe is surprisingly simple to make, with just one “cheffy” step: tempering the eggs. This process gently warms them to avoid scrambling and creates the soup’s signature creamy texture. Don’t worry—I’ve made it foolproof with a blender. Pair it with souvlaki and a fresh Greek salad for a satisfying meal.
“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!”
What You’ll Need to Make Avgolemono
- Chicken tenderloins or breasts: Adds protein and heartiness.
- 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: Brings that bright, herby flavor that’s classic in Greek dishes.
- Bay leaf: Adds a subtle earthy flavor to the broth.
- Fresh lemon juice: Brings bright and tangy flavor that balances the richness of the soup.
- Eggs: Thicken the soup and give it a creamy, rich texture.
- Heavy cream: Though not traditional in avgolemono, cream enriches the broth and helps soften the lemon’s acidity. Feel free to omit it for a more lemon-forward version.
- 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.
Transfer 3/4 cup of rice to a blender with the lemon juice, eggs, and yolks. Blend until smooth, then add 3/4 cup of broth and blend again. Repeat with another ladle of broth.
Slowly stir the egg mixture into the pot until combined. Add the cream and gently simmer over low heat until the rice is tender.
Right before serving, stir in the chopped dill and the chicken. Serve immediately, as the soup thickens up quite a bit as it sits.
Keep in mind that refrigerating or freezing the soup can affect its texture, as the egg-lemon mixture may separate or curdle, and the rice absorbs the broth, making it thicker. For best results, enjoy the soup fresh.
Video Tutorial
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Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice
Warm up with a bowl of creamy avgolemono soup, the Greek classic that combines lemon, egg, chicken, and rice.
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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Hi Jenn,
Planning to make this soon and was wondering (although not traditional), do you think frozen peas would be a good addition to this lovely soup?
TIA!
Sure, Candice — they will also provide a nice pop of color. 😊
Flavor was great, but it was initially too thin for my taste and I used six cups of broth. I added more rice to thicken it up, and it was perfect while we were eating, but as it sat it thickened and is now too thick. Lol, my advice is if it’s too thin, let it sit for a few minutes. I’ll thin the leftovers with broth and it will be fine. 🤷♀️
I made this lovely soup for dinner last night. The flavor was great, however, it seemed thin. I rinsed the rice, per the rice package instructions. The recipe didn’t call for rinsing the rice. Do you think, by rinsing the rice, I altered the thickness of the soup?
Glad you enjoyed the flavor! Yes, rinsing the rice would definitely make a difference; the starch thickens the soup.
A keeper!
I make Avgolemeno the long way and this was a delightful shortcut when I want soup quickly .
Greek husband approved !