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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Hi Jen, Your avgolemno soup is so authentic and so delicious! My husband is Greek, coming from a Greek Island. I have made this soup from various “authentic” recipes, but he said your version brought him back home to his mom’s dish. Fantatico! Efharisto – Thank you.
I made this soup last week and it was absolutely delicious! I was worried about curdling the eggs, but the recipe explains clearly how to avoid that, and the soup turned out perfectly. I like Jenn’s recipes because they are not too complicated, but the results are dependably scrumptious and worth the effort.
Love this soup. I did add a little more lemon but other than that I followed the recipe.
I have been searching for a winning Avgolemono recipe for years and have been disappointed with so many batches of this soup. I tried ATK’s version, but I suspect something was off because of the call for coriander. I think you are spot-on with your version. The blender egg hack prevents scrambling the eggs and the amount of lemon added is perfect. White pepper works great in this dish. Thanks for another winner, Jenn!
I’ve always loved this lemony chicken soup at restaurants but I had never made it at home. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew it was time to try. The directions were easy to follow and it turned out great! This is a perfect soup for a cold winter night!
Made this super easy and fun soup last night. I omitted the cream as my partner can’t do dairy and it was still one of the best things I have made. He was a huge fan and is already asking when we can do it again.
This soup was delicious! Loved the lemon and dill flavors that lightened it up while still feeling substantial due to the rice. I made it was using cashew cream (blend 1/4 cup raw cashew with boiling hot water until smooth) instead of the heavy cream because I don’t eat dairy.
This is really one of those soups that just warms the soul when you are feeling a little under the weather. I even leave the chicken out sometimes because the broth and rice are really the high points of this great soup! Opah!
We made this soup last week and the family loved it. Served with Indian naan and a side salad. Delicious!
One of my favorite soups at a local restaurant and so glad to get a recipe that is just like it so I can make it at home. It’s so delicious and if you haven’t tried this yet you need to!
Another fabulous recipe by Jenn! I left out the cream and the soup was still amazing. I’m about to make another batch today – for the 3rd time! Yum!!!
Made this soup last weekend. It’s everything you would want wrapped up in one bowl. Tender, tasty chicken in a comforting soup. The lemon adds a zing that adds to the soup without being overbearing. It’s a nice, almost subtle, undertone. This has gained a place in my regular rotation. It’s sooooo good!
This is an easy recipe for one if my favorite soups. Love it!
Wow! This recipe will definitely become a family favourite! We were transported to Greece! It turned out perfect! It was creamy yet light with a delicate lemony dill flavour that balanced perfectly with the chicken and rice. I didn’t have heavy cream so I substituted 10% cream for the heavy cream. Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!
Wow! This recipe will definitely become a family favourite! We were transported to Greece! It turned out perfect! It was creamy yet light with a delicate lemony dill flavour that balanced perfectly with the chicken and rice. Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!
Love this yummy lemony soup and it’s very Greek authentic with the most tender chicken. I highly recommend and it’s a great way to switch things up from your everyday soups and stews during the cold winter months.
Just before serving I squeezed in an extra tablespoon of lemon for a little extra zip!
This recipe is a perfect balance of creamy comfort and lively lemon. Follow directions as provided and your family and guests will think you’re a master chef! This soup has just enough lemon to enhance the chicken and rice and brighten the flavors. I didn’t change a thing.
This was delicious! I took the option to omit the cream as I do like the traditional version without the cream. In the past, I have served this cold in the summer. But it’s also delicious and soothing on a cold winter day!
I have fond memories of going to “Greek Town” in downtown Chicago growing up and eating at various local restaurants. Avogolemono soup was always one of my favorite things to get! This recipe really brought me back to those days. Quick, easy, and delicious! I only added a splash of cream and it was perfect. I will definitely make this again.
Great soup! Just made it. Can this be frozen?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing it — sorry (but glad you liked it)!
I loved making this soup and the steps to the recipe were clear and easy to follow.
In the past, the eggs would always curdle when I attempted to make yia yia soup (greek for grandma).
Thank you for sharing 😋😋 💙💙
Jenn, so delicious. Perfect for a cold winter day. Made it exactly as is and enjoyed the cream, although not typical. Added a bit more lemon.
This soup really hit the spot on one of the coldest days this winter (so far). I made it exactly according to the recipe, except for two small details: I used an immersion blender instead of a regular blender, to make clean-up easier, and I also used boneless chicken thighs because that’s what I had handy, and put them in the water with the rice since thighs seem to need a little more time to cook than breasts.
The proportions were perfect; no adjustments were needed. We served with warm bread and butter last night, and I’m making Naan for an accompaniment tonight.
Been making a lot of lemon pasta lately and decided to try this instead. Was just OK. Feel like it is missing something but can’t put my finger on it. Followed the directions exactly. Maybe it will be better tomorrow after all the flavors meld.
Update to say I enjoyed the soup better on day two!
Another wonderful recipe! This was easy and delicious
We love lemon zing flavors. You’re recipes are hands down the best. I am a huge fan!
I made this over the weekend and it was simply amazing. My family loved it. We are big fans of lemon chicken and chicken picatta, and this was a little bit like the soup version of those dishes.
I followed the directions carefully, but for some reason the chicken tenderloin did not cook in the soup broth all the way, so I quickly sautéed it to finish the cooking process before adding it back to the soup. I’m not sure what I did wrong but it ended up great nonetheless.
Despite the fact that I’m unsure of its pronunciation, this is definitely a new family favorite.
Just made this today for dinner (not following the instructions to eat immediately 😉), and it is delicious!! As a good Greek girl, we love our avgolemeno soup, but it can be a pain to make when you have to boil a whole chicken. This was super simple! Plus, I loved the addition of the cream—even though it’s not traditional. I did add extra lemon because I love the brightness and tanginess. Another winner, thanks Jenn!!
So happy you added this recipe. I love avgolemono soup, and cannot wait to try it!
I made this tonight and it was sooo good- I sent my mom the recipe right away! I don’t like the taste of dill so I replaced it with some fresh basil and dried oregano (no idea if that was very greek of me, but it was delicious) and used whole milk since I didn’t have cream. Comfort in a bowl! Never would have thought to make something like this, but trusted if you had a version on it, it must be great!
This was a huge success! This is definitely going In The ‘impress without a lot of work’ file. And so good….
Made this tonight to go with some chicken souvlaki and it was a hit! Super easy to make – I love how the chicken cooks off the heat, and the tempering of the eggs in the blender assured that the eggs didn’t clump up in the soup. The lemon and dill made the soup bright yet overall it was rich and comforting. Next time I will try without the cream just to compare.
Jenn,
Made this last night, to many compliments.
Didn’t use cream, and didn’t miss it.
I used 4 whole eggs, rather than the 2_whole_plus_2_yolks. Whenever I separate eggs, immediately upon refrigerating, they grow a sign that says “keep for 7 days, then throw out”.
Curious, what did I sacrifice by using all whole eggs?
Thanks,
Joe
Glad everyone enjoyed it, Joe! Using egg yolks makes the soup taste a bit richer, but many avgolemono recipes do call for whole eggs.
This is the perfect post-Christmas winter soup. Light but satisfying.
A big bowl of creamy deliciousness! All the flavors were beautifully balanced, creamy but not thick, lemony but not tart. I didn’t have fresh dill so used dried, gave the soup a dash of dilly delight!
Surprised—this is the first such recipe with neither onions or garlic. Has it been tried and abandoned?
Hi John, I was trying to keep this recipe as simple as possible and didn’t think it needed onions/garlic for flavor. Feel free to saute some and add them to the broth if you’d like. Hope you enjoy if you make it! 🙂
Do you think this would work with brown rice? I made a version of this soup one time and we really enjoyed it. I like your methods better than the recipe I tried. But we are trying a low carb diet so wonder if brown rice would work?
Oh sorry! I just saw your response to this same question already!
Hey there… I’m Greek and this is by far one of the best and easy food you can prepare… BUT… for God’s shake… DON’T USE CREAM or MILK… this is not in the recipe.
– Just boil the chicken… (either a whole chicken or some parts of it) Place it in a large pot and cover it with water.
– remove any foam from the top of the water while it is boiling
– remove the chicken once it is ready and keep the broth
– add some rice (not basmati or anything exotic… Just long grain rice)
– you can add a couple of carrots and one potato too aif you want
– mix 2 eggs (or one) in a bowl with the juice of one lemon, with some salt and some black pepper… USING A HAND BLENDER
– When the rice is ready remove it from the fire and add the broth slowly inside the egg and lemon mix… Add as much as you can… Slowly .. Really slowly (we don’t want to make the eggs look like an omelet) and don’t stop using the hand blender all the time…
Once you have finished return the mixed up broth back to the pot (away from the fire)
YOU ARE READY..
you can either serve it as it is or you can just add some chicken and the carrots inside the dish. Sprinkle some fresh pepper and it is done. Enjoy…
DON’T USE CREAM OR MILK… PLEASE!!!!
Loved the twist on this recipe both the process and addition of cream. Just the right balance of lemon. Didn’t have fresh dill but dried worked in a pinch. Yum
This comment is so rude. She purposely states that it’s not traditional to add the heavy cream and you can omit it if you’d like. If you don’t want to make this version of the recipe, then don’t.
This is always a treat to have.. restaurant at home! I call it soup therapy 🙂 light and refreshing, perfect mood lifter on a wintery day ❄️🌴🥣🍲🍜
Hi Jenn! I’m Greek so avgolemono chicken soup is on the table almost once a week during winter. We usually boil the whole chicken and then add the rice to the broth but your version is much quicker. If you love avgolemono you should definitely try youvarlakia soup which is a kind of meatball soup with avgolemono! So glad you introduce us with food from all over the world!
That sounds delicious, Vivi. I will try it!
How would you make this soup using an immersion blender? Any advice?
Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work with an immersion blender — sorry!
I just did that. Very easy. I used the tall 1-qt container that came with my blender, and had no splash problems at all.
I have enjoyed my Armenian grandmother’s similar version of this soup for almost 50 years.. Her soup would always thicken a bit too much . I found that cooking the rice separately and then adding it to the broth worked much better . Cooking the rice in the same broth deposits too much starch.
Hi Peggy, I considered cooking the rice separately but wanted to keep the dishwashing to a minimum. 🙂 I got around the starchy issue by using less rice than what is typically called for. You can definitely cook the rice separately; it’s an especially good option if you’d to make this soup ahead (in which case you would add the rice that isn’t blended into the egg/lemon mixture at the last minute before serving).
What is the delicious looking bread that it’s served with – pita bread?
Hi Gina, Yes it’s homemade pita bread. I was hoping to share a recipe for that this week as well, but I gave up after trying many recipes that didn’t really work — it’s very tricky to get pita to puff up reliably in a home oven.
Do try the whole-wheat pita recipe from Robin Asbell’s book Big Vegan. I’ve made it many times, to rave reviews, and the pitas puff up perfectly every time. 🙂
Love this soup. So tasty! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. Will definitely make again 😋
I have some leftover rotisserie chicken that I’m trying to find good use for it. Do you think I could just add cooked chicken instead of the chicken tenderloins? If not, I’ll defrosts some chicken breasts I have in my freezer and try it this weekend since it sounds really delicious although I have never tried such a soup. Thanks
Sure, Nancy – just skip the step of poaching the chicken off the heat and simmer the rice until it’s cooked through.
This looks delicious! Is there a way to prepare it in advance so it will hold for 2-3 days without thickening up too much?
Hi Joanna, Yes, I would cook the rice separately according to the package instructions. You can blend the 3/4 cup of cooked rice into the egg/lemon mixture in the blender (before adding the hot broth) and stir the blended mixture back into the pot (so the base of the soup will be done); then just wait to add the remaining rice and chicken to the soup until right before serving. If the soup seems a little thick upon reheating, you can thin it with a little more broth or water. Hope that helps!
Can I use half and half in lieu of heavy cream?
Sure, Susan – that should work or you can just leave it out.
Would this work with long-grain brown rice as well? (I’m guessing it would just take lots longer to reach the “al dente” point.)
Hi JA, Yes and I agree on the cook time. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hey Jenn,
First, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your recipes and your cookbook! You are my go to all of the time (and have been since I discovered you several years ago) because I know whatever recipe I use will be great. All of our special holiday meals with family always has at least one Once Upon a Chef recipe. Thank you for sharing your expertise and love of cooking! I have a quick question. What could I substitute to use to make this soup if I don’t have a blender? I do have a mini Cusinart processer. Would that work or would it be better to blend in by hand?
Hi Mary, Your mini Cuisinart should work fine, although you will probably not have room to blend in the hot broth. I would transfer the blended egg/rice/lemon mixture to a bowl and slowly whisk in the broth (don’t add it too fast or the egg mixture may curdle) before adding the mixture back to the soup. Hope that helps, and so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Hi Jenn! I’m so excited to try this. How do you think it would freeze?
Hi Jay, I don’t recommend freezing this soup. Sorry!
This is my children’s favorite soup. I have been making this for years. Excellent recipe. I make this slightly different by omitting the bay leaf and dill. And using the zest and juice of 1-2lemon. Adding carrots and onion and using orzo instead of rice. I keep the orzo separate so it stays al dente.
I have been making the soup for years. My grandmother taught me, we use plain yougurt and dry mint leaves. In Aremenia the word for yougert is MATZOON Soup. Whenever my kids were not feeling well I made them this soup.
Hi Jenn
Sounds Great, but what could I use instead of heavy cream?
Any suggestions?
Hi Karen, You can just leave it out; most avgolemono soups don’t call for it.
The Greek chicken lemon duo is a close as you can get as chicken duo with matzah balls. A warm and hug for any time. Bravo!